The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love
by Shinigami-Zelda-sama
Summary: A LoZ fanfic. Link is a regular student, going to a regular school, until he meets a girl that catches his heart... RATED M FOR SEXUAL CONTENT, AND LANGUAGE! LEMON LATER ON IN STORY, SO NOT FOR KIDDIES! My first fanfic also, so please R&R! New cover image! ***check out to see more OCL art 33***
1. The New Girl

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 1: The New Girl**

School was always a regular thing for Link. He would start the day by waking up in his dorm room, then he would skip breakfast so that he could make it to school in time. He would hang out with his friends, Sheik, Mikau, Kafei, and Mido. His day would be slow, most of it spent not paying attention in any of his classes (besides gym of course) and fooling around with the guys, sometimes trying to pick up girls. Other than that, his days were perfectly normal.

Link rose from his bed one morning, the sun shining through his window. He sighed, and arose from his bed, ready for another boring day of school. If he had parents, they would really be pressuring him to do better, but because he didn't, he didn't give a damn. One of the only reasons he went to school was because there was nothing better for him to do. And he liked hanging out with Sheik and the rest of the guys.

Link looked at himself in the mirror. He had gone to bed with just a pair of jeans on, leaving his shirt off for the next morning. He made sure his face looked clean, and that his hair was messed up.

_Link, you look stunning today,_ he thought to himself, and grabbed his shirt, a black skin-tight shirt that had short sleeves and revealed each section of his abs on his torso. He grabbed his brown jacket that went with it, and grabbed his schoolbag that he left by his bed. He checked the clock. Eight o'clock. He ran out the door, into the hallway, hoping to be at the school early so that he could get extra time to hang out with his friends. He went to the Hyrule Academy, a huge school that even had dorm rooms and campuses. It was a wonder he could even afford to go there, but with his rich uncle supporting his back, he had nothing to worry about.

When he left his room, locked the door, and made it outside on the campus, Link jumped onto his bike and began to ride as fast as he could towards the main entrance of the school. Girls waved at him as he passed by, and he waved back with a casanova smile on his face. Of course, he didn't have any interest in these girls, they just had an interest in _him_. Much to his dismay, he was the most popular boy in school among the ladies, for being hot, talented, and really social.

When he reached the school, he chained his bike to the bike rack, and swung his schoolbag over his shoulder, which he always kept in the basket attached to the bike seat.

"Hey Link!" he heard Sheik call his name. He turned and waved to the Sheikah. Sheik was wearing the bandages around his face, as usual, which only exposed his right red eye. The rest of the stuff he wore were capes and baggy pants with strange shirts that Link had no idea came from.

"What's up?" Link asked Sheik, and gave his friend a high five.

"Nothin' much," Sheik replied. "Have you seen the rest of the guys yet?"

"Nope, just you." Link walked towards the doors of the school with the crowds of other students, Sheik following close behind him. Once they were inside, they immediately headed into the cafeteria to see if the rest of the guys had shown up yet. They headed to their table at the back of the room, and saw that Mido was already there. Mido smiled at them when he saw they had finally arrived.

"Hey Mido," Link greeted, sitting down next to him. "How's it going?"

He took a drink from his soda. "The usual. I can't seem to pick up any girls, and I'm staring at a guy who doesn't even care about getting girls."

Link snickered. "Hey, I want a girlfriend, I just haven't found the right person yet."

"You said that about the last twenty girls," Sheik laughed, sitting down next to me. "You'd better find a girl fast, the winter school dance is coming up."

Link sighed. He knew he had to find a date for the dance, and soon too, it was already October. That left him with two months to find a girl. Normally, it wouldn't be hard for a guy like him to find a date; it was just finding the right one. All the girls he knew were snooty, uptight, and really only cared about having a boyfriend to brag about to their friends. He wanted someone that looked pretty, but also had a good personality.

"Well, have you two found dates yet?" Link asked them, raising his eyebrow.

"Uh, well... no, but...," Sheik stammered. Link gave him a funny look. "I-It doesn't matter!"

"What about you Mido?" Link asked his Kokiri friend.

"Well, there is one girl I've had my eyes on, but I don't think she'll want to go with me."

"Who?"

"Saria."

"I don't know, you two might make a good couple..."

The group of boys continued to talk about Mido and Saria, until Kafei and Mikau appeared.

"Alright, what did I miss?" Kafei asked jokingly. He would usually say that if he came in a bit late for morning break.

"We're talking about Link's problems with girls," Mido snickered.

"Oh, thanks a lot!" Link laughed, and crossed his arms. "I have no problems with girls! I just have a problem finding the right one..."

"You're in luck then, Link," Mikau sighed as he sat down across from the rest of the boys. "Turns out there's a new student who just transferred here. I hear she's a girl." Leave it to Mikau to find out all the latest gossip. But he still wasn't as good at gossip spreading as Navi was.

"Really?" Link asked. "What grade?"

"Same grade, in the eleventh. She'll probably be in one of your classes."

"I'll have to meet her..."

"Be careful though. I heard some strange things about her."

"What? Like what?" Link was hoping she wasn't paranormal or anything weird like that.

Mikau smirked. "I'll let you meet her first before I tell you. I'll tell you at lunch, how's that sound?"

Link groaned, hoping to hear the information firsthand. "Alright, fine," he mumbled.

After another ten minutes or so, the bell rang, and all the students got up from the tables to go to their respective classes. Link had a Math class first with Mikau and Sheik. His teacher was Mrs. Anju, an energetic and yet still strict teacher. Link had a special way of lazing through the class though, without being caught.

When Link, Mikau, and Sheik made it to the classroom, they took their seats near the window, Mikau being behind Link, and Sheik being in front of Link, so that he was in the middle. Mrs. Anju was sitting at her desk reading her book, and paid little attention as the rest of the students filed in. Link watched as the students sat in their desks, but it was strange... there was one extra desk on the other side of the room against the wall across from him that didn't use to be there before. Maybe it was for the new student Mikau had talked about?

Mrs. Anju walked to the front of the class, setting her book on her desk. "Alright class," she began, which was the way she always began her class. "We have a new student today, and will be with us until she graduates."

"Ya hear that Link?" Mikau whispered in Link's ear from behind him. "It's a _she_... better make your move fast, kiddo." Link rolled his eyes at his comment, and continued to watch the teacher.

"So, I want you to treat her with respect, and show her around the school if you have any time," Mrs. Anju continued. She gestured towards the door, and a tall girl walked in the classroom.

_She's... beautiful..._ Link thought to himself in awe. She was tall, but a little shorter than him, and she had long blond hair that was streaked with brown, which traveled to her waist. Her eyes were the color of crystal blue, and by her fairy ears, Link knew she was a Hylian, like him.

"Would you like to say anything, Zelda?" Mrs. Anju asked the girl.

The girl blinked once, and then smiled lightly. "Hello. My name is Zelda. I'm happy to be here." Even her voice made Link's heart skip a beat. Her voice was gentle, like an angel's voice. "I'm hoping to make lots of good friends, so if you want to talk to me, don't be afraid to say hello." She looked at Mrs. Anju.

"Thank you, Zelda," Mrs. Anju said in a pleased voice. "Please take your seat over there, against the left wall." Zelda obeyed, and walked down the aisle of the classroom. Her steps were so graceful... Link couldn't stand taking his eyes off her. She sat down in her chair, and pulled out her Math textbook and her scribbler and pencil. She glanced up at Link, but he zipped his eyes away. But he could have sworn he saw her smile at him from the corner of his eye. She seemed like a nice girl.

_I should get to know her better,_ Link thought. _She might be a nice girl. _He felt Mikau kick his leg from behind him. Link turned around slightly to see what he wanted. Mikau aimed his thumb at Zelda, and winked. Link gave him a disgusted look, and then turned back around.

For the entire ninety-minute class, the teacher had the entire class doing work from their textbooks. Link just decided to kick back and relax (but not sleep of course. He didn't know if he did or did not snore, and that was a risk he wasn't willing to take). But Mikau and Sheik would look out for him, and whenever the teacher eyed Link suspiciously, Sheik would kick Link's leg, and Mikau would pull Link's head to his desk, making it look like Link was working in the open, unused textbook on his desk. Link would pretend to work after that, until the teacher looked back at her books on her desk. This plan had always worked since the beginning of the tenth grade, when he didn't have any reason to pay attention in Math class.

When the bell finally rang to end class, Link bolted up from his chair, along with Mikau, Sheik, and the rest of the students.

"Guys, I'll meet up with you in a second," Link said to them. He wanted to talk to Zelda, to see what she was like.

Sheik winked at him, and Mikau gave him a thumbs-up. _Those jerks_, Link thought, and approached Zelda, who was still sitting at her desk, putting her books into her schoolbag. Mikau and Sheik left the room, leaving Link along to speak with the beautiful new girl.

"Um, hi," Link said nervously. She looked up from her books, and bit her lip.

"Hey," she said back. Her voice didn't sound as... angelic as it did before. "Listen, if you're here to ask me out on a date, the answer is no."

Link was stunned by her words. He wasn't even thinking about that! Well... not yet anyways...

"What?" he stammered. "I wasn't going to ask you out, I just wanted to introduce myself!"

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

"I'm Link."

"Interesting name. As you already know, I'm Zelda. By the way, that was a great trick you pulled off with your friends there." She had noticed Link's relaxing trick.

Link couldn't help but smile. "Thanks. Listen, if you ever need anything... a tour of the school, any friend suggestions, or help with finding your next class... I could help you out..." _Goddess Din, stop flirting, you desperate person! _Link thought in anger. He had a feeling that Zelda knew exactly what he was thinking; her blank expression could tell it all.

"Maybe," she replied, and stood up from her desk. She smiled at Link. "It was a pleasure meeting you." She left the room without saying another word.

_Smooth,_ Link thought. _Real smooth_.

Link left the classroom immediately after she did, only to get tackled by Mikau and Sheik, and then pinned him to the wall.

"Alright, give it to us straight, Link!" Sheik demanded. "What did she say?"

"I just told her that if she needed a tour of the school, that I would help her out," Link explained. He knew that it was a sorry excuse, but it was the truth. "Of course, she did accuse me of asking her out the moment I started talking to her..."

Mikau smiled. "That will all be explained at lunch, Link." Link groaned again, not wanting to wait until the lunch break, which was ninety minutes away.

"Oh, dammit!" Sheik exclaimed. "Link, here comes Ganon! Hide!" Link immediately began to panic, and hid behind Sheik and Mikau. Sheik's robes were easy to hide behind, because he wore so many of them.

"Hey, losers, have you seen the fairy kid anywhere?" Link heard Ganon demand. He couldn't see him because of Sheik and Mikau standing in front of him.

"Sorry, Ganon, we haven't seen him," Mikau muttered. "I think he headed off for the cafeteria to find Mido and Kafei."

Ganon snarled. "Alright, if you see him, tell him I've got a score to settle with him." The thing about Ganon, was that he wasn't suspicious enough. Why did he trust Mikau and Sheik not to hide Link?

When Mikau and Sheik were sure Ganon had left the hallway for good, they stepped aside for Link to get out from behind them.

"That was close," Link muttered.

"You think?" Mikau yelled. "It's not easy for me to lie!"

"Well, you do an awful good job at it when you do," Sheik added.

Link double-checked his schedule; he had English next. He put his schedule back into his bag, and then began walking down the hall, pulling Sheik behind him. Sheik and Mido were in his English class, but Kafei and Mikau weren't. At least he only had to worry about one person bugging him about the new girl. And he didn't think Sheik would tease him as much as Mikau would.

When he made it to the classroom, Link gasped, in horror, and delight when he saw Zelda sitting in his class... _directly behind his desk._ He didn't say a word as he sat down in front of her. Sheik sat in front of Link, and Mido sat in front of Sheik. Sheik looked back at Link, and then winked.

Link decided to turn around to face Zelda, just so he could get away from Sheik's teasing. Zelda looked up at him, and smiled.

"So, we're in the same class again, huh?" he said to her, trying to sound better than he did in the last class.

"I guess we are," she said in a flat sort of voice. "Who's your friend?" She pointed at Sheik, who was also looking at her.

_Darn it, don't tell me she's got an eye for Sheik... _Link thought. "Oh, this is Sheik," he introduced. Sheik smiled, and turned back towards Mido to talk. He was probably going to tell Mido about the new girl, and how he thought Link was 'in love' with her.

"Hey, who's our teacher for this class?" Zelda asked Link. She probably noticed that the teacher hadn't arrived yet, but then again, the bell hadn't even rang yet.

Link felt himself heating up. She was actually talking to him, in a conversation... but why was he getting so nervous? It wasn't the first time he talked to a girl. But then again, it was the first time he talked to a girl that actually turned him on.

"Oh, our teacher is Mr. Rauru," Link replied, trying not to lose control of his words. "He can be a bit of a grump, but he's alright. I can't sleep through this class though... he always seems to catch me... it's like he has an eye on the back of his head."

"He probably does." Zelda smiled, and giggled. "English is one of my favorite classes though." She relaxed back in her chair. Link could see her torso perfectly; her breasts, her collarbone, and her beautifully carved waist. Link bit his lip. It was hard for him to hold back all the feelings that were going through his mind. His body was heating up fast, and he was sure his face was a bright red by now.

"Listen, I can tell you're interested in me," Zelda sighed. "Your body signals tell it all. But the answer is still no. I won't go out with you, because I know you men are all the same." Link felt heartbroken by her words. He felt all his emotions drown from his body, and he turned around, laying his head on his desk, waiting for the class to start and the awkward silence between the two to end.

When Mr. Rauru finally did appear, he began talking about the new books they would be reading throughout the year. Link tried hard to stay awake, and luckily, he didn't fall asleep, and he didn't get caught for drooping his eyes either. Mr. Rauru would stop him just for doing that. Luckily, he had gym after lunch, so he wouldn't have to worry about being tired for the rest of the day; a good game of basketball, or whatever sport they were playing would get his blood pumping.

When class finally ended, Link ran as fast as he could to the cafeteria, hoping to hear what news Mikau had been hesitating to tell him until lunchtime. He sat next to Mikau at the table, and demanded to know what was up with Zelda.

"Alright, fine, I'll tell you," Mikau said, finally giving in. Mido, Kafei, and Sheik gathered around the table to hear the info too. "One of my friends used to be in her school, before he came here for high school. Turns out that she was real popular with the boys."

_That doesn't surprise me_, Link thought.

"Zelda would get, like, ten invitations in one week, and she would accept one boy each time. But each guy she accepted didn't last long, before she dumped them, telling them, "I'm not interested in you, you men are all the same!"

_So, I wasn't the only one she told that to._

"Even now, she doesn't accept any dates very often. I don't know why either. She'd probably only tell her closest friends why, say, the girls in her grade."

Link gazed at the table Zelda was sitting at. She was hanging out with Malon, Saria, Ruto, and another girl named Alexis, who was a tenth grader, a freshman. _Wow, she's already got a whole group of friends. Well, that shouldn't surprise me. She is kinda nice..._

"Link, would ya quit staring at her?" Kafei said, snapping his fingers in front of Link's face to snap him out of his trance on Zelda. "Why don't you just ask her out?"

"I wasn't even thinking of doing that," Link muttered. "But when I talked to her this morning, she just said, "If you're trying to ask me out, the answer is no.". So I don't think that's going to work."

**A/N: So how was that for a first chapter? I hope you all enjoyed it! It's rated M because there will be lemons later on in the story, so it's not for kiddies! There's also a bit of language, but we'll get to that later. Also, if you review, go ahead and put up what pairings there should be with Link's friends, Sheik, Mido, Mikau, and Kafei (because trust me, they're going to have girlfriends by the end of this fanfic). I'll try and submit Chapter 2 soon! **


	2. Things About Link

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 2: Things about Link  
**

Zelda sat down at the table during lunch, with her new friends she had been introduced to since that morning. When she first entered the school, a another overactive girl with red hair had introduced herself immediately as Malon, and said she was very happy to meet Zelda. Malon then introduced her to a Zora girl, Ruto, who could also be extremely jealous at times. She also introduced her to Saria, a girl who grew up in the forest as a Kokiri, and Alexis, an adventurous Hylian girl.

"So Zelda, how are you liking the Hyrule Academy so far?" Malon asked her, a cheery smile on her face.

"It's fun so far," she replied in a soft, airy voice. "But I have music next, and I haven't played the harp in ages."

"You'll do fine," Saria said. "I'm in your music class, you know. I play the ocarina. Speaking of ocarina, have you met any guys yet?" Zelda began to wonder why the word ocarina had anything to do with boys. She shook her head.

"I met one, but he's not the guy I'm interested in," she muttered.

"Who?" Ruto demanded.

"He's in my grade. What was his name again... right, his name is Link."

Ruto choked on her apple, and took a drink from her water to clear her throat. "Link?!" she yelled the moment her throat was clear. "You talked to Link?!"

"Actually, he talked to me."

Ruto glared at Zelda, and then looked at Link's table that was only a few aisles away. She stood up from the table, and left towards the boys.

"What's wrong with Ruto?" Zelda asked the other girls.

"Ruto's had a crush on Link since the first grade," Malon mumbled. "I've dated him once before, and so has Saria, but we both ended up breaking up with him. Ruto hasn't even gotten a chance to go out with him because he never accepts her offer."

Zelda watched as Ruto ran over to Link's table, and tapped on his shoulder.

"Hey Link!" Ruto greeted happily, trying to hide her rage against Zelda under her expression.

Link rolled his eyes, and turned on his chair to meet her gaze. "What is it, Ruto?"

"I was just wondering if you'd like to go-"

"No."

"Are you sure, because-"

"Yes."

Ruto crossed her arms, and left for her table. Link turned around in his chair, facing his friends again.

"Sheesh, it'll be the day when that girl stops trying to ask me out," he grumbled, and laughed.

Ruto sat back down in her chair at the table, and pouted. "He said no again..."

"Of course he said no, what were you expecting?!" Malon snapped. "You're not the first girl he said no to."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked Malon curiously.

Saria rose her head from the book she was reading, ready to answer the question for Malon. "Link has this sort of strange quality," Saria began. "He feels that there's only one girl out there who's right for him. He doesn't know who it is yet, but he figures that special girl will arrive someday. That's the reason he's only gone out with so many girls. He's actually really popular with the girls, and gets a lot of invites to go on dates, but he always refuses. It's like he can read a girl's mind."

Alexis ran over to the table, her plate of food in her hands. She sat down next to Ruto. "Sorry I'm late everyone! What were we talking about?"

"I'll explain to you later, in Science," Malon sighed, and began to eat her salad. "So Zelda, you've met Link, huh? You should get to know him better. You could be that 'special someone'."

Zelda glared at her, not amused by her joke. "Very funny Malon, but I don't see any good traits in him."

"How could you not see his magnificence?" Ruto cut in, her eyes growing wide. "He's totally cute, he's athletic, he plays the ocarina, guitar, drums, Deku Pipes, piano, he knows a lot, even if he doesn't pay much attention in class, he can horseback ride, he has talent for sword fighting, and hand to hand combat, he has a few enemies, but he's actually really nice..."

"Is this list going to go on much longer?" Zelda snickered. "I have a schedule, you know, and I don't want to be late for class."

Ruto stuck her tongue at me, and then giggled. "I can't help it! There's just so much about Link that's perfect!"

"Like him being a completely idiotic jackass?"

Ruto shot her eyes up angrily to the table across from theirs to see Ganon and his friends.

"You know, you really should shut your mouth, Ruto," he laughed. "I can hear you from here."

Link rose his head from his table, having heard Ganon insult him. "Did you just call me a jackass?!" Link screamed, and jumped from his table.

"What was your first guess, jackass?" Ganon laughed, and rose from his table as well, looking for a fight. They both approached each other, their hands turning into tight fists, ready to fight.

"Oh no, they're at it again...," Saria grumbled under her breath only loud enough for Zelda's ears to pick up.

_He's more violent than Ruto described, _Zelda thought._ But he does look kinda cool..._

Link swung his fist at Ganon's face, only to have his hand caught by Ganon's huge fingers. He flung Link over his back, sending him sprawling into a table, knocking all the food (and any unexpecting students) to the floor. He tumbled across the tables, and managed to land on his feet on the last table before hitting the floor.

_That man is strong... _Zelda thought, looking at Ganon as he stood in the same position he was in before he flipped Link.

"Is that all you've got?!" Ganon taunted at Link. Link ran over the tables with extreme speed, jumping off the last table and meeting Ganon's face with his small fist. Ganon fell back a bit, but soon retaliated with a punch to Link's stomach. They both remained standing, and eventually, were in a fight filled with punches and throwing.

"Somebody's got to help him!" Ruto screamed, watching Link getting beaten with tears in her eyes.

"Ganon's a tank, Ruto," Zelda sighed. "There's no way we can stand up to him. Link can beat him..."

"He did a few times," Alexis laughed. "But I think the first time, Link had just been in powerlifting. That's the reason Ganon is such a tank, because he's the champion of the school in powerlifting. Link's not bad either."

Zelda watched as Link dodged all of Ganon's punches like a snake, and noticed that he really didn't have many muscles compared to Ganon. He had a few on his upper arm, but that was pretty much it.

"Why don't you just die now!?" Ganon screamed at Link, and nailed a punch right to his face. Link fell to the floor, his nose bleeding, and his face already bruised from Ganon's iron fists. When Zelda saw Link just lying on the floor, she was certain he was unconscious, and she thought she felt her heart stop. Ruto began to cry.

After waiting a few silent moments, Link finally stood up, ready to fight again.

_That's something I like about him,_ Zelda thought. _He doesn't back down, no matter what the situation is. _

Link cracked his knuckles, then his neck, taunting Ganon. Ganon struck at him again, and he attempted a dodge, but he was getting tired, and failed it. Ganon's fist struck right into his jaw, sending him flying. As he flew through the air though, he saw Zelda's worried face as he passed by her. It was like time had slowed... just so that he could get to see her worrying about him. After a split second after time had regained itself, he hit the floor, sliding into the wall on the other side of the room. His head hit the brick wall hard. Ruto screamed.

It was then that the principal arrived, Mr. Gaebora. He ran to the aid of Link, trying to wake him up. He turned to Ganon, who was biting his lip now. He wasn't afraid of what the principal would do to him, he was just wondering if he would ever get to beat up Link again.

"Ganon, you are to go to my office... _immediately_," Mr. Gaebora growled. Ganon sighed, waved goodbye to his friends, shot a look of hatred at Link's friends, and left the cafeteria. All was silent. Nobody moved... they just waited for Link to wake up from his terrible beating.

"Oh my Goddess Farore...," Saria cried under her breath. "I hope he's alright..."

_Please be alright..._ Zelda thought worriedly, praying inside her heart that he would be alright. She didn't know she'd care so much over a complete strange, but... something was different about him. He wasn't like all the other men she had met in her previous schools.

The principal continued to check over Link, trying to find a heartbeat. He finally felt a pulse on his neck, and sighed in relief.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine!" Mr. Gaebora assured. He called down a nurse, and they came rushing in with a stretcher. They carried him out of the cafeteria, taking him to the nurses' office.

Ruto smiled. "Thank goodness...," she sighed. "If Link had died, I don't know what I would have done..."

"Uh, move on to someone else?" Alexis muttered, regretting it.

Ruto shot an evil look at the girl. "Link will always be mine, forever and ever."

"Well, until Zelda gets her hands on him," Malon laughed.

"W-What?" Zelda stammered, still trying to process what Malon had said.

"Yep, 'cause after school, you're going to go visit him in the nurses' office!" Malon wrapped her arm around Zelda's shoulder in a friendly manner. That was the problem with Malon; she felt she always had to get her way.

"Can we just go?" Zelda sighed. "I'm getting sick just seeing all the blood on the floor..."

"Sure," Saria said kindly, and stood from the table, followed by everyone else. They were about to walk out the cafeteria doors before Sheik, Mido, Mikau, and Kafei stopped them. They turned to face the boys.

"What is it?" Malon asked them.

"Uh, well, you girls seemed really worried about Link," Sheik said. "So we were wondering if you'd like to go visit Link with us during third break."

"We've got nothing better to do," Kafei snickered. "Without the Boss, things get pretty boring, pretty fast."

"You're not just hanging out with us because we're girls, right?" Zelda asked suspiciously.

"You don't have to worry about that," Mikau muttered. He knew about her thing with boys. _Actually, Link and Zelda could make a really good couple,_ he thought, but decided to erase that thought from his mind for the time being.

"Fine, you guys can come along," Alexis laughed. "Just be on time! Meet us at the nurses' office right after the bell rings! Don't stop for anything!"

"No problem!" Kafei laughed, and made an army salute. The girls left, heading to their next classes before the bell would ring.

Mikau gave Kafei a funny look, smiling a devious smile and raising his eyebrow at him.

"What?" Kafei asked innocently. "Alexis is kinda cute... sue me." He laughed, and began walking to his next class with the guys. He was hoping that Link would be alright and healthy again in no time. But he wanted to kick Ganon's ass as revenge for beating up his leader.

When Zelda seated herself in her music class, Saria took a seat right next to her, her ocarina in one hand and her music in the other. She set up the stands for both of them, placing her music on it. Zelda placed her music on her stand, having received it from her teacher a few days earlier, when she was asked what instrument she would be playing. When she said she could play the harp, the teacher gladly accepted it as a good instrument, and explained that the band had a few other harp players in the back, with the ocarina players.

After more students arrived, the teacher finally appeared.

"Hello students," he greeted. He was a Zora. "My name is Mr. Evans. I am only saying that because I see we have a new student in our class." He looked at Zelda, and she waved kindly. "For those of you that don't know her yet, I suggest you make her feel welcome here. You all know what it's like being a new student. Now, we're going to start with our basic scales. One, two, three, four..."

The class played through the scales, Zelda playing better than she had expected considering she hadn't played in quite a while. When they were done with their scales, they began playing through their songs. Zelda really enjoyed playing "The Time For Heroes". It reminded her of... Link. She kept thinking of him as they played, her mind wandering. She thought of Link on a bed in the nurses' office, his wounds bandaged up.

Why couldn't she stop thinking about him?

Was she... falling in love with him?


	3. A Strange Offer

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 3: A Strange Offer  
**

The rest of the day passed by quickly for Zelda. She managed to make it through the rest of her classes with ease, but she still strangely missed seeing Link's face everywhere. For a big school, the boy sure knew how to get around quickly. And during breaks between classes, Sheik and the rest of Link's friends would hang around with the girls, wondering if they had seen Link yet. Zelda couldn't stand waiting for the day to end so she could visit Link in the nurses' office.

Zelda was now sitting in her History class, eagerly waiting for the clock to strike four. Saria and Ruto were with her, and she could tell by their anxiousness that they couldn't wait any longer either. When the bell finally rang, they sprang up from the seats and immediately left the classroom without saying another word until they reached the nurses' office.

When they arrived, the nurse told them that it was alright to visit Link, so they quickly ran into his room, where he was laying on a bed, bandages covering his head and neck. He looked at them, and smiled. After just a few seconds, Link's friends came running into the room. The eight visitors smiled at Link, and he weakly smiled back.

"Link!" Ruto screeched, and hugged his neck. He winced in pain, and grunted when her arms wrapped tighter around his neck.

"Be careful, Ruto!" Alexis yelled. "He's still in pain!"

Ruto pouted, and released her arms from Link's neck. "Do you know how worried I was about you?"

"Ugh, whatever, Ruto," Link muttered. "Hey Mikau, tell me the news. What's happened since I was sent here?"

"Hm, well, I heard Ganon was suspended for two weeks!" Mikau said happily.

"Good. That bastard deserves a good whooping. I'll beat the crap outta him next time, just watch."

"How long are you going to be here?" Zelda asked.

Link was taken off guard. "The nurses are hoping that I'll be back by tomorrow, but I had a lot of damage taken to my head. They said I had a concussion. I don't blame them, I don't remember anything between the moment Ganon threw me, to the time I hit the wall. Everything in between is a blur..."

"You'd better be back by tomorrow!" Mido growled. "It's not fun when you're not here! I mean, who else is gonna be our bodyguard against Ganon and his thugs!"

"I don't think he needs anymore fighting for a while!" Alexis said.

"Don't forget Link, you also have a guitar club meeting tomorrow at lunch," Mikau muttered.

"Great, another thing to worry about," Link sighed. "By the way, how do I look in these bandages? Pretty cool, right?"

"It's awesome, Boss!" Kafei cheered. "You look tough!"

"Sweet. Hey Sheik, can you do me a favor? They're selling chocolate pudding in the cafeteria today... can you get me some? The nurses won't let me leave."

Sheik nodded. "Sure thing. I'll be back in a second." Sheik left the room, leaving in the direction of the cafeteria.

Zelda and the rest of the group pulled up the available chairs, and sat next to Link's bedside. Link sat up farther on his pillow, and took a sip from the glass of water that was sitting on his bedside table.

"I am so looking forward to seeing Ganon in suspension," Link snickered. "This is the first time Ganon's been in suspension for so long. I think they should have just gotten him deported. That would save me a lot of time and blood."

Mido grinned, and relaxed against the back of his chair. "Then when Ganon gets out of suspension, we'll give him a taste of his own medicine!"

"I'll be sure to bring my sword."

_Link can be... really violent._.. Zelda thought. _But he does have a lot to defend himself against..._

"You girls should help us out," Mido snickered.

"What do we look like, black belt fighters?" Ruto said sarcastically.

"Sorry, we're staying away from fights," Zelda muttered.

Link cracked his knuckles, and crossed his arms behind his head so that he was leaning against them on the wall. He stared up at the ceiling, and played with the bandages around his face. Zelda could still see a bit of blood underneath the bandages. _That looks like it hurts.._. Zelda thought as she stared at the wounds on his forehead.

Pretty soon, Sheik came in with a small cup filled with chocolate pudding.

"Here you go, Link," Sheik said, handing him the pudding and a spoon.

"Thanks," Link muttered, and began to eat his pudding. He smiled, enjoying the taste of the chocolate dessert.

Mikau stood up from his chair, stretching his arms. "Alright, I gotta go to guitar practice... see you later Link. Get better soon!" He left the room.

Kafei, Mido and Sheik also began to leave from their chairs.

"We all have to get ready for our next class," Mido sighed. "Lucky ass, you don't have to go." He smiled, and left the room with the rest of the boys.

Zelda and the girls stood up, ready to leave too.

"Get better soon, Link!" Ruto growled. "I don't like it when you're gone! It gets lonely!"

Link rolled his eyes, and waved goodbye to the rest of the girls. Alexis, Saria, Ruto, and Malon turned to leave.

"See you later Link!" Malon said.

"Get better soon!"

Zelda gave Link a smile, and turned to leave, but was stopped when Link grabbed her arm.

"Please... can you stay for another minute?" Link asked her. Zelda looked at the door. The girls were already gone. It was just her and Link, alone.

"What do you want?" she asked him.

"I just... want you to stay. Why did you come and visit me anyways?"

_Crap,_ Zelda thought. _I can't tell him that I was worried about him! Think up an excuse..._

"Oh, Ruto just dragged us all here because she was so worried about you," Zelda replied.

"Oh, really?" Link said suspiciously. "If I didn't know better, I'd be guessing that you were worried about me."

_Wow, so he's a mind reader too. _

Link released her arm, and gestured for her to sit down on the chair next to his bed. She hesitated, but sat down anyways.

"Thanks for visiting me... at least now I know the new student doesn't completely hate me," Link muttered.

"I never said I hated you... I just don't feel like dating any boys right now."

"Well, I wasn't asking you on a date. I was just thanking you for coming to visit me. And anyways, I could also tell by the look on your face that you were worried about me."

Zelda bit her lip, knowing that her expression of worry was clearly visible to Link now. All Link could do was stare at the ceiling to avoid looking at her worried face and saying something stupid.

"You know, I heard about you...," Link began, trying not to choke on his words. "About how you dumped every boy you went out with."

Zelda raised her eyebrow at Link, and he began to worry that he said something wrong. He knew she was going to yell at him.

"Where did you hear that?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

"Mikau told me. I just wanted to know if this was true..." Link didn't know what her response would be, but he knew it wouldn't be very pretty based on the expression she was giving him. He just continued to stare at the ceiling.

Zelda took a deep breath, and began to speak in a low voice. "It's true. I've gone out with lots of boys, and I've dumped them all."

"Why?" Link dared to ask.

"Because they were all the same. They didn't care for my feelings, or even about me. They just cared that I was pretty, and all they would want to do was have sex."

Link winced when she said that. He looked at her with sympathy in his eyes, a frown on his face.

"Is that true?" he asked.

"I don't lie unless I have to. And I can trust you to keep that a secret, right?"

He nodded, and stared back up at the ceiling. "Then I guess by now... you already know that I like you."

Zelda smiled, and reached over and held his hand. "I had a feeling you did. And... I guess you're alright too. But I-"

"Give me a month."

"What?" Zelda asked, stunned, raising her eyebrow at him.

"Give me a month... to make you fall in love with me."

Zelda blinked, and looked at him funny. Link stopped staring at the ceiling, and looked in her eyes.

"If I can't get you to fall in love with me by the end of December, I'll give up, and move on."

"Link, do you honestly think that you can make me fall in love with you by the end of December?" Zelda asked shockingly. "I mean, it's already November! That doesn't give you a lot of time..."

"That's one thing you don't know about me... I can read people's emotions. I can... tell what you're feeling right now."

Zelda swallowed. She didn't know such a skill existed. And she knew that if he wasn't lying and really did know how to do this, he would find out that she did like him.

"I won't tell you what you're feeling though," Link continued. "Unless you want me to."

"I'd be happy if you kept your mouth shut," Zelda muttered.

"Alright, alright." Link sat up on his pillow, his back supported by the wall. "So, considering the little wager is on, how would you like it if you came to my guitar practice with me tomorrow?"

Zelda thought over it for a minute. It didn't sound like a great date to her, but then again, she wasn't even asking for one, so she nodded in approval.

Link smiled, and rested himself on his back again, closing his eyes. "I have to get some sleep... I'll talk to you later, okay Zelda?"

"Sure," Zelda replied, and turned towards the door.

"Have a good first night here," she heard him mutter as she left the nurses' office.

_Yeah,_ she thought._ I'll try._

When Zelda made it back to her dorm room, it was nearly six o'clock. Her roommate was a girl named Navi, who seemed like a really big chatterbox. The moment Zelda stepped inside the room, Navi introduced herself, and began talking about her time at the school, and then began asking Zelda questions about her first day.

"So Zelda, did you make any new friends today?" Navi asked her, sitting down on the couch. Zelda sat across from her, drinking from a cup of hot chocolate.

"I met a few. Saria, Alexis, Ruto, and Malon."

"Oh yeah, those girls are nice to hang around with. Ruto can be annoying sometimes, but she's alright."

"I heard you get around the school a lot."

Navi nodded, and began playing with her long light-bluish hair. "That's true, Zelda. Next to Mikau the Zora, I'm the first person to get all the latest gossip and news, along with my friend Tatl, and her younger brother Tael, who's in the tenth grade."

"So, all four of you know everything that goes on in the school?"

"Yep! Well, we don't talk to Mikau much, because he's with Link's gang, who resides at the other end of the school, but Tatl, Tael and I have good resources! All of our information is spot-on!"

"Then can you tell me a bit about the school's guitar club?" Zelda was hoping to get information about the club so she would know what to expect with Link the next day.

"The guitar club is pretty popular these days," Navi began. "The best members though are Mikau, Japas, and Link. They rock out loud!"

I knew it, Zelda thought. Link is a good guitar player, and really popular at that.

"I hear that Mikau, Japas, Link, and their drummer, Tijo, are going to play a concert for the school's fundraiser for the upcoming winter dance. They haven't gotten a singer yet... but I hear that they're debating whether Mikau or Link sings. Link keeps saying that he doesn't sing, but they don't believe him..."

"Maybe Link can sing," Zelda interrupted. "He kinda looks the part..."

"You've met him? Isn't he the cutest boy alive?"

Zelda bit her lip. She agreed with Navi, but she didn't freak out over the boy's looks as much as she did.

"And it's so weird how he hasn't found a person to go with him for the winter dance!"

Zelda blinked. "He hasn't?" _Of course he hasn't, you dummy,_ she thought._ He wouldn't be trying to prove himself to me if he was in love with someone else... but wait, am I saying I'm in love with him? Zelda, get those thoughts out of your head! He's just another guy... but... he's not like the others..._

"I wonder if he'll ask me...," Navi continued, beginning to dream into her own little world. "But he's got so many other girls in his life... especially Ruto. That girl is like a demon when it comes to Link. She won't let anyone else have their hands on him..."

_Oh great, I hope she doesn't see me with Link tomorrow then._ Zelda smiled, imagining how much Ruto would freak out at the sight of her going to guitar practice with Link.

Zelda heard a phone ring. Navi picked up a small blue cellphone, and began speaking into it to the person at the other end of the line. _Wow, she's got a cellphone. Lucky..._

Navi stood up, and began to walk around the room, talking to the other person on the line.

"Tael, you know that Biology project is due tomorrow! Get off the phone and get working!" She hung up, and set the phone on her bed.

"That was Tael?" Zelda asked her.

Navi sighed. "Yeah, and he's slacking off again. He's supposed to have this Biology project done by tomorrow, and he's not even close to having it finished! I swear, that boy's going to fail!"

"What about his sister, Tatl?"

"She's the smart one, and she doesn't slack off. I don't know why Tael bothers to call me though. He should just call his sis..."

Zelda smiled, and walked to her bed, sitting down on the mattress, and opening her textbook to study. When she left her home to come to the academy, she had made a promise to her family that she would study hard and become a high-ranking student, and she wasn't going to let that promise slip away now.

She sat there studying for hours, and Navi read up on the latest school news on her laptop computer. It was where Navi always got her latest gossip to tell to her circle of friends.

When Zelda was finished studying, it was nine o'clock, and she was planning on going to bed soon so she could get an early start in the morning. She set her books underneath her bed with her bag, and pulled the covers over her, not even bothering to change into her pajamas. She was extremely tired, and the day had been long. She couldn't wait for a nice, long sleep...

* * *

Link, on the other hand, was having a hard time falling asleep. He felt fine, in fact, he couldn't have felt better. He finally got the nerve to say what he wanted to Zelda. But he was regretting it; did he say the _right_ thing? He was hoping she actually would come with him to his guitar practice, and wouldn't just blow off his offer. He knew that she thought he was a total weirdo, maybe even a freak. How would he look at her the next day? He was mostly worried, and didn't even bother to think of how the day would go if she _did_ accept. But he couldn't help but dream about her smiling face, her amazing personality, her amazing angel-like body... he ended up dreaming of her most of the night. He dreamed of holding her, spending his days with her, kissing her...

Link snapped his eyes open, and sat up in his bed. He looked at the clock; it was four in the morning. He groaned, and turned over in his bed onto his side. He couldn't believe he had a weird dream like that. He had just met Zelda today, and he was already having romantic dreams about her? Link bit his lip hard, punishing himself for having such stupid dreams. He winced in pain, and then stopped. He closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep, hoping not to have any more stupid dreams.

It didn't work.


	4. Guitar Club

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 4: Guitar Club**

Link opened his eyes from a rough night of sleep. He sat up, and looked out the window at the open field of the school campus. He yawned, and stood up from his bed. He felt a bit dizzy, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle on a regular day, so he decided to cope with it. He changed into a fresh pair of clothes, got his schoolbag ready, and left the nurses' office, telling the nurse that was standing at the desk that he was ready to leave. She allowed him to leave, and he ran into the hallway, eager to sit in class with his friends again. He had a Math class first, which meant he was with Zelda. Ms. Anju would be overexcited to see him though, which meant he would have to pay attention in class so she wouldn't catch him; she would be keeping an extra eye on him in case he wasn't healthy enough for class.

When he sat down, Sheik eventually came in, sitting in front of him. He smiled when he saw Link smiling back at him.

"Hey buddy!" Sheik said, overjoyed. "How're you feeling?"

"Never better," Link said sarcastically. "I had the _best _sleep_ ever_... it was filled with images of Candy Land, and there were pretty ponies _everywhere_!"

Sheik rolled his eyes. "Alright dip-wad, what really happened?" He blew a bubble from the bubble gum he was chewing. It popped.

"Fine, but just 'cause you're my number one friend," Link muttered.

"I thought _I _was your number one friend," Mikau snickered as he entered the classroom and sat down behind Link.

_Great, now I have to tell __both of them,_ Link thought, annoyed. He sighed, and began to tell his friends about the strange dream he had, hoping to finish it before Zelda entered the room. "Alright, guys, I'll give it to you straight... I had a dream about _her_ last night."

Sheik frowned a bitter frown, and Mikau smiled deviously. They already knew who he was talking about.

"I like what I'm hearing," Mikau snickered quietly.

"Please, Goddess Din, don't tell me you dreamed about...," Sheik muttered.

"What!? No!" Link growled. "Besides, it was just a dream... I asked her out already..."

Mikau looked like he was about to choke on his own breath. "You _what_?! What did you do!?"

"I asked her if she would want to come to my guitar practice with me," Link explained. "Mikau, I can count on you to let her watch, right?"

"Uh, sure, but Link, that doesn't sound very romantic if you ask me..."

"Yeah, I know, but that's the last thing she wants." He just didn't want to explain the whole 'make Zelda fall in love with him by the end of December' bet to his friends. It would be really awkward if he told them.

Link shut his mouth when he saw Zelda enter the room. She didn't look as... orderly as she usually did. Her hair was brushed out, but there were still a few sprigs sticking out. Her clothes were decent, and she looked tired. When she sat down, she didn't even bother taking her books out.

"Something's wrong...," Link muttered to himself, but was still loud enough for Sheik and Mikau to hear.

"You can tell?" Mikau asked him curiously.

"She's always so organized... but today... she must have had a bad night."

Zelda laid her head on her desk, and closed her eyes, resting until the teacher arrived. Link could definitely tell she had a rough night, but he wondered if it was as terrible as his.

**********

Zelda yawned, and pulled her books out when she saw Ms. Anju arrive. She thought that going to bed early would help her in the morning, but her dreams kept her awake all night. She didn't even want to replay last night's dreams. All she dreamed of was Link. She couldn't stop thinking of his beautiful face, and his kind way of speaking to people when he was in a good mood. She was amazed at how much she knew about him considering she had only known him for a day. But she couldn't wait until lunch, when she would meet up with him and his friends at the guitar club.

She looked across the room at Link, and saw that he was looking at her funny. She mouthed the words, "What is it?"

Link smiled, and began mouthing words back. "Tired?" he asked.

"Yes."

I can't just go talk to her, Ms. Anju is right there! Link thought. Although, it is pretty impressive that she can read lips...

"Don't worry, you'll have fun at the guitar club," Link mouthed.

"Yeah, sure, I'll be there," Zelda mouthed back, and then turned to her textbook.

"You've got that girl under your spell," Mikau muttered to Link over his shoulder. Link didn't think he had noticed his little conversation with Zelda. "That's pretty impressive, considering she only dates certain guys. Guess you're the guy."

"I'm not," Link muttered back. "Listen, it's not a date. I'm just showing her to one of the school's clubs. She may want to join a club eventually."

"Dude, getting her in the guitar club would mark history for this year. There haven't been any females joining yet..."

"I'm not saying she'll want to join, I'm just saying she might like to watch us play."

"Okay, so first you don't mean to say that you're not taking her on a date, and then you don't mean to say that you're not convincing her to join the guitar club... make up your mind!"

Link sighed. "I'm just taking her to the guitar club as an audience. We haven't gotten anyone to listen to our music, not even the teacher that started the group, Mr. Evans. And she's the only one I know that won't go ga-ga over my guitar playing, like Ruto."

"Good point. But you should be careful, she could end up being your girl-"

"Mikau! Link!" Ms. Anju shouted, catching the boy's attention. "Is you conversation worth telling the class?"

Link leaned forward in his chair. "Sorry Ms. Anju..."

"Get to work, boys."

Link looked at his textbook, and began answering the questions. He was actually really smart, and it didn't take him very long to get the entire page done, but he didn't like using his smarts if he didn't want to. He just didn't seem he was the kind of person to be really smart. That was the reason he got low grades. The only classes he got high marks in were extra curricular activites, and track meet (he happened to be the fastest on the team).

When he was finished of all his work, he laid back and relaxed. He looked at Mikau, who was still hurrying to finish his work before class was over. Sheik was going at his own pace, but Link could tell that the guy was mostly daydreaming. As his eyes wandered to the other students in the classroom, they stopped on Zelda, who was slowly working in her book. He could tell just by looking at her eyes that she would drop any minute from being so tired.

When class finally ended, Link stood up from his desk, and walked over to Zelda, who was wearily putting her books into her bag.

"Hey Zelda," he greeted, finally getting a real chance to speak to her. "Why are you so tired?"

"I had a bit of a rough night," she replied. "I had all these crazy dreams last night..."

"Heh, you're not the only one."

Zelda gave Link a surprised look. "But you don't even look tired!"

"It's because I'm used to it. I usually stay up late, and still make it on time for class. I'm guessing that you go to sleep early, and usually get a good night's rest, right?"

"Yeah, exactly. I'm going to head to the cafeteria to get some coffee, alright? See you at lunch." And with that said, Zelda left the classroom to head to the cafeteria.

Link stood silently for a few moments, and then left the classroom too, meeting up with Sheik and Mikau in the hallway. He had a track meet and Biology next. Mido was with him for Biology, and Kafei was with him for track meet. He was lucky to have all his friends in so many of his classes. It was just during track meet that things got really crazy; they were all together in that class, along with Ganon and a couple of his friends. The competition always rose between Link and Ganon when they were in a class together, and one time they actually had a real fight in the middle of class. Most of the time they just raced each other on the track, but this fight actually involved Ganon breaking one of the benches.

When Link arrived at the track field, he headed to the locker room to get ready in his gym clothes. Sheik, Mido, Kafei, and Mikau were already done getting dressed, and were heading out to the field. When Link had gotten his white t-shirt and gym shorts on, he ran out to the field, sitting on the bench with his friends. On the other bench across from them, Ganon and his friends were also ready for track. Ganon glared at Link from the other end of the field, and cracked his neck, signaling death to Link.

_Darn, I guess he's still here even if he is in suspension_, Link thought. _Today is going to be... fun._

Actually, the class was completely different. Link and his friends ran on the track, along with Ganon's friends, but Ganon was stuck doing push-ups and laps around the field under the gym teacher's eye, Mr. Darunia. Link couldn't help but silently laugh to himself as he watched Ganon struggle to keep doing push-ups. When Mr. Darunia wanted to be strict, he was _strict_. And it just made it worst considering that Ganon had beat up Mr. Darunia's top student.

After running a few laps, getting challenged to a few races, and doing a few runs for Mr. Darunia, Link got ready for Biology, changing back into his school clothes. For the last few minutes of class, Link headed down to the Biology classroom with Mido. Saria and Alexis, from the group of Zelda's friends, were also in his class.

When they sat down, Mr. Mizumi , their Biology teacher, was already writing things on the board for the class. He used to be a marine biologist, but had become a teacher a few years ago. In fact, he was only a few years away from retirement.

Mido sat down next to Link at the table, and set his textbook on his desk. Link just read the board, and opened his book as well, getting ready to study for the test that was coming up soon. He was anxious to get to the guitar club with Zelda.

When his class finally ended, he ran out the door, leaving behind Mido, and headed to the guitar club room. He was happy to see Zelda standing outside the club room, waiting for him by the door. When she saw him, she stood up, happy to see him too.

"I'm surprised you were actually able to find this place," Link muttered to her as he opened the door.

"I'm surprised I actually came," Zelda muttered back. "Now, I want you to know I just came here because you asked me nicely, not because I like you or anything."

Link smiled._ Your emotions tell me different, Zelda_, he thought. He grabbed a guitar case from the wall, and sat down next to Mikua, who was already looking at Zelda. In fact, all the guys were looking at Zelda.

"What?" Zelda asked annoyed. "I'm just here to watch you guys play upon Link's invitation."

The Zora who Zelda guessed was Tijo waved from the other side of the room. "Pleased to meet you, Zelda!" he laughed. "I hope you enjoy our music!"

Japas was strumming on his bass guitar in the corner, and Mikau was cleaning his guitar with a rag. They both smiled at Zelda as she sat down at the other end of the room so she was facing them, like an audience at a concert.

"So, she's just here to watch us play?" Japas asked in his usually bored tone.

"Yep," Link replied. "This is the first club she's managed to check out, so let's play our best song."

"And that would be?"

"Uh..." Link thought for a minute as he began fiddling with the strings on his guitar. "Great, I don't know..."

"You dummy," Japas sighed, and began playing a tune on his guitar. "How about... Resonance?"

"Nah, too hard," Mikau said. "'Sides, we don't have a person who can sing that one." He gave a sarcastic look at Link.

"No, I will not sing," Link growled. "I don't sing!"

Wow, Navi was right, Zelda thought. He really doesn't want to sing.

"Alright then, Resonance is off the list," Mikau said. "How about Bouken Desho Desho?"

Link gave Mikau a sour look. "That song's for girls to sing! Don't be stupid!"

"Fine, Bouken Desho Desho is gone. Then we'll play Asterisk!"

"I know how to play that!" Tijo yelled. "That song's perfect!"

"It is, isn't it?" Japas said sarcastically. "If only we had someone who would sing it!" He looked at Link.

"For the last freakin' time, I won't sing!" Link growled. "I will not, not now or ever, sing for the guitar club! For the love of Goddess Din, I don't sing!"

"I happen to know Bouken Desho Desho," Zelda muttered, cutting in on their conversation. "Maybe... I could sing?"

"You know Bouken Desho Desho?" Mikau asked her, breaking away from their argument.

"Well, I don't know the full song, just the remix... and I'm not a really good singer..."

"Come on, you can't be any worse than me!" Link snickered.

"If only we knew what you sounded like!" Mikau snapped.

"Shut up." Link stood up from his chair, and began warming up on his guitar with a few chords. Zelda walked up to the microphone, and made sure that it was working correctly. Tijo did a few drum rolls on his drum set, and Japas prepared his fingers for his bass playing. Mikau played rhythm guitar, so he stood over near Link.

"Alright, is everyone ready this time?" Link asked them all. "We don't want to replay last week's tragic events."

"Yep," Tijo, Japas, and Mikau replied at the same time. Link looked at Zelda, and she nodded, approving that she was ready. She didn't have any idea she would actually end up helping out Link's band; but it would give her a chance to see their performance 'up-close'.

When they began, Zelda had to start remembering the lyrics to the song. It was in a different language, and it took a bit of quick thinking to get the lyrics right, but she managed. When the song was over, the guys seemed surprised at her.

"That was... great!" Mikau cheered.

Link was speechless. Her singing was better than he had imagined; in fact, she sounded perfectly identical to the original singer. He looked up at the clock on the wall, and realized that the club meeting would be over soon. He put his guitar back into its case, and left it against the wall for after-school practice the next day.

"You should join our guitar club!" Mikau said to Zelda.

"No, I couldn't," Zelda sighed. "It's not something I'd want to take up..."

"Then at least do us the favor of doing a few performances with us now and then. We could really use the help, because someone doesn't want to sing." He shot a look at Link. Link gave him an angry look, already giving Mikau his answer.

"Don't forget Link, you have to come to the club room on Saturday for extra practice," Tijo reminded.

"Ugh, I hate practice on the weekends," Link muttered sourly. "It takes out too much time..."

"It's not like you do much on a weekend anyways, Link," Japas cut in. "Besides, didn't I see you sitting around near the garbage can last week 'cause you were bored?"

Link shot Japas a look, as if telling him he shouldn't have said that. "That doesn't prove anything," Link growled. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have the rest of lunch period to enjoy, and I don't need you saps to ruin it for me."

"Saps, that's a first," Japas mumbled. "Last week it was bastard."

"Would you rather jackass?" Link challenged.

"Alright, alright," Mikau interrupted. "Let's just go to the cafeteria, alright?"

"Fine." Link turned around towards the door, and Zelda followed close behind him. When they were out in the hallway, Zelda burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Link asked, starting to laugh too.

"You guys are!" Zelda laughed. "You fight over the silliest things!"

"Yeah, I know. That's what happens when you're stuck with the same guitar club members all through junior high and through high school."

"I think it was fun though. I'm definitely going there again sometime." Zelda smiled at Link, but inside, regretted it. She didn't want to have a relationship with anyone, not since all of her other horrible experiences with boys over the years. But she actually... like Link; it was his personality, the way he talked, the way he acted at school and with his friends... all of these things made her like him more.

Link smiled back at her, and walked with her down the hallway, walking her to her next class. They talked about regular things, like how their lives were before they came to the school. Zelda told him that she had a family of three at home; her mother, her father, and her older sister, Midna. Link told her that he used to live with his parents, and that he was a single child.

When they made it to Zelda's classroom, they still had ten minutes before the bell.

"So, you liked the guitar club, huh?" Link asked Zelda.

"Yeah, it was pretty fun," she replied. "I'll be there again at the next club meeting for sure."

Link smiled, happy that her emotions were exactly what he wanted them to be. He was happy that she was smiling, and enjoying her time with him. He was hoping that by the end of the month, she would want to be with him.

"So...," he began. "Are you free this Friday?"

* * *

**A/N: Ha, I left a cliffhanger! Sorry this update took so long... I've been busy with school projects and stuff... I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please R&R!!**


	5. Chosen and First Kiss

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 5: Chosen and First Kiss  
**

"What?! You asked her on a date?! And she said yes?!"

Link rolled his eyes at his roommate. "Sheik, stop freaking out, okay?"

"But that's amazing! It's history in the making!" Sheik yelled.

"It hasn't been the first time she's been asked on a date, you know," Link sighed. "I just got lucky."

"Still, you've only known her for two days!" Sheik began to pace around the room, thinking over the situation.

"Sheik, you're looking at it all wrong," Link muttered. "She's a nice girl, so I decided to ask her out. She said yes, so now I'm taking her out to dinner on Friday."

"Oh, so it's a dinner, now is it?!"

"You know, I think you're just jealous." Link raised his eyebrow, intimidating Sheik. Sheik growled, and sat down on the couch.

"I'm not jealous, I just think that Zelda accepting your dinner invitation is a work of the Goddesses," Sheik snickered. "I think that's pretty awesome, dude."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Link turned on his video game system, and put a disc inside it. He grabbed the remote controller, and began playing an action shooter game.

"Hey, shouldn't you be getting your homework done?" Sheik asked him.

"Got it done during class. I have no extra work," Link responded, not even taking his eyes off the screen as he blasted away several enemy soldiers off the battlefield.

Sheik sat next to him and watched him as he played the game. "Watch out for that hidden enemy soldier," he muttered.

"What!? Where?!" Link panicked.

His character died, and the game restarted on the same level.

"Darn it!" Link growled, and set the controller on the floor. "I can't believe I didn't see that coming!"

"Me neither," Sheik agreed. "You never get caught by things like that. What's up?"

"I don't know, maybe I'm tired..." Link stood up, and replaced the shooter game with a racing game. "Hey Sheik, wanna play?"

Sheik smiled, and grabbed the second controller. They started the game, and began racing each other.

"You know, you should find a better opponent for this game," Sheik recommended as he played. "You know I suck at this."

"Yeah, I know," Link sighed. "But you should know I'm also the master at this. I've beaten you, Mido, Kafei, Mikau, and all the other guys that have been willing to challenge me. I'm just too good."

Sheik raised his eyebrow. "Then you should know that you just ran your car right off the cliff."

Link blinked. "I-I did?" He watched as his car was lifted out from the bottom of the cliff.

"You're losing it, dude!"

Link groaned, and turned off the game without letting Sheik finish. He went to his bed, and sat down, pulling the blanket over his legs. Sheik continued to sit there, looking at the blank TV screen.

Link laid down on his bed, and turned off the small light on his bedside table.

"Going to bed already? It's only seven," Sheik said as he turned on a new game.

"Yep," Link yawned, and turned over onto his side so that his back was facing Sheik. "Good night."

"'Night," Sheik muttered, who was already playing a shooter game. Link could hear the sound of gun fire, soldiers yelling orders and screaming from enemy fire, and the sound of soldiers exploding from grenades or getting shot from guns. It wouldn't be good for his dreams that night, that was for sure.

Link stared up at the ceiling as he tried to fall asleep. He couldn't exactly find himself focusing that night; he was too busy thinking about how he was going to take Zelda out to dinner on Friday. _What are we going to talk about?_ he thought. _Will she even want to still come by Friday? What if we... no, that won't happen. Zelda wouldn't want to be with a guy like you, this dinner is just to learn more about each other. She's got a whole school filled with guys she can go out with... I don't have any chance with a girl like her. But I might as well just go on the date to see what she's like... can't hurt in trying, right?_

Link continued to think of these things, even as he fell asleep. These thoughts caused him to have dreams of her again too.

* * *

Zelda looked out the window, watching the leaves as they fell from the trees in the front yard of the campus. She was tired, and busy thinking about the dinner with Link on Friday night. _This isn't good,_ she thought. _I promised myself this wouldn't happen again... but, I don't think he's that kind of person... he's really kind, and he seems to care a lot about his friends. And he doesn't play around with other girls... I won't have to worry about him playing with my emotions... I could... no, Zelda, don't think of things like that. Just go with Link to dinner, and get it over with. _

"Hey Zelda, what's up?" Navi asked her as she typed away on her laptop. Zelda had learned that Navi was in charge of the news column in the weekly school newspaper. "You seem down."

"It's nothing," Zelda muttered.

"You're not thinking of that date with Link, are you?"

"Alright, fine, I am. So? I've gone on plenty of dates before..."

"Then why are you so worried? Just act cool, talk to him about things you like, order something that isn't too expensive, have fun, and then when you're done eating and you've found just the right moment, you kiss him. Simple as that."

"Hey, I am not kissing him!" Zelda yelled. "I don't even know if I want to go out with him yet!"

"You're going out to dinner with him!" Navi demanded. "And you're going to have fun!"

* * *

When Friday night came, Zelda was twenty minutes late. She had been told by Link to meet him at the fountain in the front yard of the campus, so she went fast so she could make it in time. Navi had been fussing over what Zelda would wear, and they finally settled on an agreement for Zelda to wear a simple black shirt with a pair of dark jeans and black boots. Her hair was let down, and a flower hairpin was clipped in the side of her bangs.

When she arrived, Link was sitting on the ledge of the round fountain, staring at the sky. His hair looked the same way it always did, his bangs hanging over his blue eyes. He was wearing a skin-tight black shirt, and a pair of dark jeans.

When he saw her, Link smiled, and waved. She ran over, and smiled back, also excited to be there with him. She sat next to him on the fountain, holding herself up with her arms placed on the edge of the fountain.

"You came," Link said happily.

"Of course I did," Zelda giggled. "I wouldn't turn down a date."

"Well, I was a bit worried you wouldn't come... because... you know."

Zelda smiled warmly, and then stood up from the fountain. "I should at least give you a chance. So come on, let's go." She held her hand out towards him, and he accepted her offer, taking her hand with his.

"So, what restaurant are we going to?" Zelda asked Link, trying to spark a conversation. She continued to hold his hand, which made Link's heart skip.

"Oh, well, I was thinking of this nice restaurant in Central Castle Town. I hear they serve good noodles."

"Let's go there then."

Link and Zelda walked down the stone paths of Hyrule Castle Town, enjoying the scenery of the night life and talking to each other about normal things. They talked about their previous relationships (Zelda being the one who dated the most boys) and about the people they hung out with at school.

"So, you've dated all those guys, and you never found the one that's right for you?" Link asked.

"Yep," Zelda sighed. "They all had the same thoughts: get the girl, kiss her, sleep with her, then dump her and find some other girl. It was all the same..."

"Does that mean... you've slept with all those guys?" Link asked boldly, hoping that she wouldn't get mad at his question.

Zelda bit her lip, trying not to get mad. "Of course I didn't. I'm not that stupid. I haven't slept with any of those idiots."

Link swallowed. He could tell she was mad. "Sorry for asking."

"No, it's fine," Zelda sighed. "It's just... when I remember what could have happened..."

"You don't have to worry then," Link said, smiling. "Because I'm not that kind of guy."

Zelda smiled, trying to hold back her laughter. She knew she could count on him to be a good person.

When they finally reached the restaurant, it wasn't really crowded, so it was quiet. The only people that were there were the people in the kitchen, the waitresses and the people working at the register. Everyone else was just having a good time eating and talking amongst themselves.

Zelda and Link sat down at a small table near the window, where it was quiet. The view from the window was beautiful; it was a view of the fountain in Central Hyrule, where dogs were running around, and the lights were lit a bright white. The water from the fountain sparkled like ice on a lake, and there were even a few fairies out flying around.

When the waitress came, Link and Zelda both ordered the same thing: a bowl of noodles with a glass of soda. Zelda had never had the noodles at this particular restaurant before, so she was eager to see how the food tasted.

While they were waiting, Link began to stare at the ceiling. It was painted with small angel and fairy designs, each one specially drawn so that it matched all the others.

"That's amazing artwork," Zelda said as she joined Link's gaze to the ceiling. "It really makes me think about Hyrule's history."

"They're missing one," Link muttered.

"What?" Zelda asked, confused.

"An angel. They're missing one in this certain pattern. Notice how the pattern goes angel, fairy, angel, angel, then fairy again, all the way in a circle. That ring up there in the corner is missing an angel; it's going angel, fairy, angel, and fairy. It's missing the second angel that comes before the last fairy."

Zelda squinted at the circular design in the corner of the ceiling. He was right; the angel _was _missing. _He has really good deductive skills,_ Zelda thought. _He's smart to notice those small details... but he doesn't seem all that smart during school..._

"That's pretty cool, how you can notice those details," Zelda commented, removing her gaze from the ceiling. "How did you notice those small details?"

"The little details are the most important details," Link muttered, and continued to stare at the ceiling. "Like the fact that the fairy right above us is missing the Goddess of Wisdom crest on its dress. There's only the Goddess of Power crest and the Goddess of Courage crest. All the rest of them have all three crests, and-"

Link was cut off when he felt Zelda's hand gently touch his hand. He looked down to see Zelda's hand placed over his, and then looked at her to see her smiling.

"That's a good talent to have, Link," Zelda said softly.

Link tried hard not to blush, and smiled back. The warmth of her hand made his heart beat faster, and he was sure that by now his face was a bright red.

Zelda giggled. "You should see the look on your face, Link. Don't tell me this is the first time you've been this close to a girl?"

"Well, no, but it's the first time I've gone on such a serious date."

"I thought you dated Saria and Malon before though."

"Yeah, but we really only hung out, like it wasn't really a date. It was just like hanging out at school, except alone."

"Well, a date is somewhat similar to that," Zelda said. "The point is to have fun with the person you're going out with, and to learn more about that person. It doesn't have to be really serious."

Link smiled, and nodded. "You're right. Thanks."

The waitress finally came, and placed their food in front of them on the table, and then left without saying another word.

"Wow, that was some _excellent_ service," Link said sarcastically. "That lady seemed depressed."

"Really, I couldn't tell," Zelda snickered sarcastically, joining in on Link's joke. "Really though, is it true you can tell people's emotions as easily as that?"

"Of course," Link said proudly. "I'm guessing that woman was upset because her boyfriend didn't call her back."

Zelda cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrow. "What makes you come to that conclusion?"

"Well, first of all look at her expression. Her eyes are red, like she's been crying, and there are also dark rings under her eyes, which show she hasn't been sleeping. And she how she keeps pulling her phone out? She's probably checking her phone call messages and text messages, in case he called while she was working or busy doing something. And the way she's looking at all the couples here... it's like she's glaring at all the men that are here with their dates. I think she glared at _me_ too..."

Link stopped to see that Zelda was laughing.

"What?" Link asked.

"It's amazing how you can notice these things!" Zelda laughed. "It's the coolest thing I've ever seen! You're pretty lucky to have that kind of ability."

"Heh, thanks," Link said, blushing. He decided to change the subject quickly. "So, go ahead and try the noodles. I think you'll like them."

Zelda nodded, and picked up her fork, lifting up a wad of noodles and putting them in her mouth. After she swallowed, she smiled in delight.

"This is delicious!" she cheered. "The best noodles I've ever eaten!"

Link smiled. "I'm glad you like them." He began eating his own noodles, and after only a few minutes, both of them had finished their meal, finishing it off with a tall glass of soda.

When they were finished eating, and after Link paid for the dinner, they left the restaurant and began walking back up the stone path to the school campus grounds. It was getting cold out, but Link was smart to bring a jacket.

"Here, you use it," Link said, handing the jacket to Zelda.

"What?" Zelda asked, surprised. "Link, that's fine."

"Are you sure? It's getting cold out."

Zelda crossed her arms. "I'm sure. I don't need it."

"Suit yourself," Link sighed, and swung the jacket over his shoulder.

Zelda stayed close to him though, because she was still cold, not wanting to admit it. And most of Link's body heat was coming from him being so nervous around Zelda.

"Don't be so nervous," Zelda said, which practically caught Link off guard.

"Huh?" he stammered.

Zelda held his hand tightly, and rested her head on his shoulder. He blushed, and hoped that his hand wouldn't start sweating.

"Hmm... I can feel your pulse rising through your neck..." Zelda said softly.

Link bit his lip, and looked down at her. _Is she... falling in love with me?_ he thought.

"Link... you said you could read emotions, right?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah, you already know that," Link muttered.

"Then... can you read mine?"

Link's heart began to skip. He could clearly see what she was trying to do.

"Zelda, I... can tell that you do like me," Link said in a quiet voice. He backed her up against the brick wall of a house in the alleyway, and lowered hsi face so that his forehead was leaning against hers. He could feel her breath against his face, and he could feel her chest rise with her breathing.

"What else?" Zelda asked boldly.

Link smiled, and laughed. "You don't want to know that..."

Zelda smiled back, and placed her hands on his face, tracing her fingers along his jaw.

"Link, I need to tell you something important...," Zelda said softly. "You're... the first person who I've wanted to get this close to..."

"I can still tell... that you're not in love with me yet..."

"No... I'm not... but I don't think there is anyone else that will get in the way of me wanting to be with you..."

"You... want to be with me...?"

Before Zelda even decided of responding, she placed her lips on his, kissing him deeply for a few seconds.

"Does that answer your question?" Zelda asked, snickering.

All Link could do was smile, and let her kiss him again.


	6. Zelda vs Ganon

**Sorry it took so long everybody! I've been busy with exams (bleh!), but at least school is going to end soon! Just another week to go, and most of it is going to be filled with fun events that the school has put together. Can't wait! I'm hoping that I'll be able to update quicker once school ends :) But anyways, here's chapter 6! Enjoy!**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 6: Zelda vs. Ganon  
**

Sheik paced his dorm room, thinking over the situation.

Link wasn't back yet, and it was almost ten. Where the hell was he? He wanted to know how his best friend's date went!

Finally, after what seemed like hours and hours, the door swung open, and Link walked in.

"Link!" Sheik exclaimed. "Where were you? You took forever!"

"Geez, Mom," Link muttered sarcastically. "The date went fine, we both had fun. Is that enough for you?"

"No, not quite," Sheik replied, crossing his arms. "Where did you two go? Did she say anything?"

Link sighed. "We went to get noodles at the cafe just a few blocks away from here. We didn't talk about much... Zelda talked about her previous relationships, and then..."

"And then?" Sheik asked, curious to hear more.

Link didn't exactly want to share what Zelda had said to him, the way she had been practically asking him to kiss her.

"And then I took her back to the school," Link lied. "It wasn't really a romantic thing... we just got to know each other a little better."

Sheik almost looked disappointed. "That's all? Nothing else?"

"Yep, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed." Link set his jacket on the doorknob, and jumped into his bed. He clicked off the light on his bedside table, and pulled the blankets over him.

_Why would she... kiss me like that?_ Link thought, confused about her actions during their date. _She didn't seem like she would want to fall in love with me... and yet she still started a kiss between us... man, I love the way her lips feel... they're so soft... but I can't expect this relationship to go any farther for now. She said she wasn't in love with me... but I can't expect her to be in love with me after one date. But she did say she wanted to be with me... great, now I'm never going to get any sleep! I can't stop thinking about her!_

* * *

Zelda sat down on the couch next to Navi, staring up at the ceiling.

"So, did you kiss him?" Navi asked, the first question coming out of her mouth since Zelda had walked through the door.

Zelda glared at her. "Of course not," she lied. But she couldn't hide the feeling in her head... what it had felt like kissing him... she didn't want to tell Navi she had kissed him because she had clearly said before the date that she wouldn't kiss him; which in this case, turned out to be the complete opposite, because she pulled _him _into the kiss. She was starting to regret this now, but in her heart... she wanted to be with him.

"You should have kissed him!" Navi sighed. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance!"

"Probably not," Zelda disagreed. "I'll probably go on a date with him again sometime."

"If you do, you'd better kiss him!"

"Fine, whatever," Zelda sighed. She was actually starting to get some amusement from her little lie. "I'm going to bed now, alright?"

"Alright, good night Zelda," Navi said, and left for her own bed, carrying her laptop with her.

Zelda laid down in her bed, and stared up at the ceiling. She twirled her hair around with her fingers, thinking about the night's events. She had loved her time with Link that night... she wished that it hadn't ended so quickly. And it was almost as if she could feel his lips against hers... his soft, amazing lips... just thinking about him kissing her made her tingle.

_I do want to be with him..._ she thought. _He's definitely not like the other guys I've met... it's going to work out between us, I know it. And I know that by the end of the month... I probably will end up falling in love with him. He's amazing, and so different from every other guy I've dated. I'll have to tell Midna about him when the winter holiday break comes. _

Zelda thought about him through the night, eventually tiring herself out and falling asleep.

* * *

After the weekend had passed, Link and Zelda met up during Math class. The moment they saw each other, they smiled, and entered the classroom together. They were surprised to see that all the desks were put together in groups of two. Sheik and Mikau were already sitting next to each other.

Link also noticed that his normal desk was beside Zelda's.

_Great_, he thought happily. _I can be closer to her during class now too._

They sat down at their desks without saying anything. Mrs. Anju eventually walked in, and told them of the book work they were going to do. Link looked around the classroom, and realized that Sheik and Mikau were directly across from him and Zelda.

_Well, I guess my sleeping-in-class trick won't work now_, Link thought. _But I don't think I could sleep with Zelda sitting right beside me anyways..._

Link opened his book and his scribbler, and began working on a couple math problems. Zelda remained motionless; she didn't even bother to open her book. She just sat there, watching the front of the classroom. Link moved his gaze to her every few moments, to see if she had moved. He wanted to know what was up.

"Zelda, what's-" He was cut off when he felt a soft brush against the tip of his toes. He looked down to see her foot gently placed on top of his.

Zelda looked at him, and smiled. Link smiled back, knowing that she was just playing with him. She took out her books, and began to do the work, keeping her foot on top of Link's. Link started to do his work too.

When Link finished his work ten minutes later, he looked around the classroom (what he always did if he didn't have any work to do.). Sheik and Mikau were both struggling together on their work. Sheik looked at Link, and smiled.

"What?" Link mouthed.

"You're-sitting-next-to-Zelda," Sheik mouthed back, and tipped his forehead towards Zelda, who had her eyes on her textbook. "Lucky."

Link rolled his eyes, and turned back to his scribbler. He grabbed his pencil, and began to draw in the empty spaces that he hadn't filled in with numbers and word problems. Zelda quickly glanced at his drawings every so often, and then continued her work, until the class ended. The moment Link stood up, Sheik and Mikau walked to him. Sheik raised his hand and made a death sign by dragging his index finger across his neck.

"What?" Link asked worriedly.

"Looks like Ganon is outta suspension today," Sheik muttered in a shaky voice. "You're going to get your sorry ass kicked, you know that?"

"Fine, then I'll hide like last time."

Sheik looked at his robes. "I don't know... these robes are shorter, and won't cover you as good as last time, and I don't think Ganon is that stupid to fall for the same trick twice."

Link sighed in defeat. Zelda walked up next to him, joining in the circle of boys.

"Is there a problem?" she asked in her regular calm voice.

Link looked at her, trying to look as cool and collected as possible, but he knew she could see the worry in his eyes. "Turns out Ganon's suspension ended. I'm going to be crippled by lunch."

Zelda crossed her arms, and smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'll handle it."

The boys were silent, all three of them staring at Zelda with surprise in their eyes.

"Uh, Zelda, this is _Ganon_," Mikau said. "The toughest student in the school. He's a _tank_. A brute force that shouldn't be reckoned with. What are you going to do?"

"I guess you shouldn't judge people by their appearances," Zelda giggled. She grabbed Link's arm, and began pulling him towards the door of the classroom. "Just watch me," she said as she pulled Link into the hallway.

Just like Sheik had said, Ganon was walking through the halls, surely trying to find Link. When he finally saw Link and Zelda, he approached them with a fire in his deep brown eyes. Link glared back with his crystal blue eyes, and suddenly began to feel nervous. Zelda felt his nervousness from his expression, and squeezed his arm, reassuring him that everything would be fine.

"Hello, _Link_," Ganon growled. "I see that the trash hasn't been taken out yet."

"You're one to talk, idiot," Link insulted back.

Ganon looked at Zelda funny. "Ah, you're the new girl. What are you doing hanging around with trash like this?"

Zelda didn't reply; she only smirked.

"You might want to leave. I have a bit of unfinished business." Ganon cracked his knuckles. Link swallowed.

"Alright then, show me what you've got," Zelda muttered. Ganon looked surprised, but then swung towards Link's head. Zelda ducked, and struck her palm right into Ganon's stomach. He lost his breath, and staggered back in surprise. Zelda crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow at him.

"That all?" she snickered.

Ganon growled, and swung again, but Zelda quickly reacted, grabbing his fist. She twisted him around so that she was bending his arm behind his back (which, to Link, looked really painful). Zelda grabbed his other arm, and twisted it over the other, putting Ganon in a position so that he couldn't move.

"You were saying?" Zelda giggled, placing her chin on his shoulder. "It hurts, doesn't it?" She twisted his arms around even tighter, making Ganon bite down on his lip. She looked back at Link, who seemed dumbstruck. Mikau and Sheik were just as dumbstruck as him.

"W-Who the hell are you?" Ganon stammered, his voice strained from the pain of his arms being twisted.

"Oh, just the new girl," Zelda responded. "My name's Zelda. Remember it, okay?" She released his arms, and kicked him in the back, sending him flying into a locker.

Zelda smiled, and held Link's arm again.

"What the hell... was that?" Link said in a low voice.

"I forgot to mention, I used to be in the karate club," Zelda said. "I know how to handle these kinds of situations."

Link smiled, and laughed under his breath. "Wow..."

* * *

By the time lunch came, Link was relieved to see that Ganon was nowhere in sight. In fact, he hadn't crossed paths with him since Zelda had done... whatever it was she did to Ganon.

Zelda walked away from Link, leaving for her table. Link hesitantly followed her.

"Hey, do you mind if I sit with you today?" he asked her.

Zelda smiled. "Sure, you can sit with us," she replied. "As long as it's alright with the girls."

Link looked at the rest of Zelda's friends. Malon and Saria smiled at him. Alexis remained silent. Then he saw Ruto, and shuddered in his head. But he sat down next to Zelda anyways.

"Long time no see, Link," Malon said cheerfully. "It's nice to see you again."

"You too," Link said.

"You haven't changed much," Saria giggled. "You've gotten taller though."

Link smiled at her. "You've changed. You're still a shorty though."

She giggled, and took a sip of her juice.

"Link!" Ruto screeched. "Wanna go out sometime?"

Link rolled his eyes. "No, Ruto. How many times do I have to tell you that? I'm not interested in going out with you."

Ruto pouted, and turned around so that her back was facing him.

"Come on Ruto, you got to move on," Link sighed. "I'm just not interested in dating you, alright? There are plenty of other dudes in this dang school."

Ruto didn't turn around or respond. She just continued to pout, wanting to get her way.

"Listen Zelda, I have to go... Mido's calling me..." Link said to Zelda.

She nodded. "I understand. See you later."

Link walked to his table, and sat next to Sheik, right across from Mido.

"So, hanging out with your girlfriend, huh?" he asked Link.

"Huh?" Link stammered.

"Come on, don't play all innocent. I know you went on a date with Zelda!"

Link groaned. "Sheik told you, huh?"

Sheik turned his head, not wanting to look straight in Link's eyes, which usually meant 'sorry'.

"So, did you kiss her?" Mido suddenly asked.

"What the? No!" Link yelled.

"Alright! Geez, you make it sound like such a bad thing." Mido began eating his lunch, not saying another word. They all ate their lunch in silence, not saying another word about Link and Zelda.

Zelda kept looking at Link at his table as she ate her lunch. She was happy that she had gone through with the date, and she had more fun than she thought. Then her eyes saw Ganon walking down the aisle, holding a tray of food.

"Great, he's here..." she muttered to herself.

"Who's here?" Saria asked.

"That idiot, Ganon."

Saria looked at Ganon as he sat down with his friends. "Oh, him? You don't need to worry about him, he doesn't pay much attention to us."

Zelda bit her lip. "I-I don't know about that..."

Saria looked at her funny. "What do you mean Zelda? Did something happen?"

Zelda bit her lip even harder. "Well, let's just say I tried to protect Link from Ganon... I ended up twisting both his arms over each other and threatening him."

Alexis began coughing on her drink. When she caught her breath, she glared at Zelda.

"What's wrong with you! Do you want to get killed?" she yelled. "Even I haven't had the guts to do something like that!"

"The last time I did something to that idiot, I gave him a huge wedgie in the second grade," Malon giggled. "Of course, we were both too young to start beating the living crap out of each other, but now that I think about it, it did give me a bit of a thrill. Good times..."

Zelda looked back at Ganon, and saw that he was turned towards her table. All five girls stared at the five boys at the other table. Ganon took his fingers and dragged them across his neck, signifying death.

Zelda swallowed in fear. Malon bit her lip. Alexis rolled her eyes.

"You're dead now, Zelda!" Malon hissed when they had turned back around.

"Don't worry, I was at the top of my class in the karate club..." Zelda muttered.

"That doesn't make any difference!" Saria argued. "Ganon is the toughest student in the school! One time in the ninth grade, he smashed this kid's skull! And that kid is still in the hospital!"

Zelda rolled her eyes, knowing that she was exaggerating quite a bit.

"And don't forget what happened in the tenth grade!" Malon began. "He brought a knife to school and even threatened one of the teachers! I'm surprised he didn't get expelled!"

"It's probably because the teachers are scared of him," Alexis laughed. "And can you blame them? The guy could kill them if he wanted to!"

"I heard from Navi, Tatl and Tael that he still carries a switchblade around with him," Saria added. "I also heard from them that Link has even started carrying one in case Ganon tries to kill him! I could never imagine Link with a switchblade!"

Zelda stood up from the table, looking at the clock on the wall. There was still twenty minutes until lunch was over, but she wanted to go to the library. She had heard that her favorite comic books series were there, so she wanted to go sign a few out.

"I'm going to the library, okay?" Zelda said to her friends as she left the table. "I'll see you in class after lunch." She looked over at Link's table. Link was glaring at Ganon, but Ganon didn't seem to be paying any attention. Zelda left the table, carrying her school bag, and walked down the aisles of the cafeteria, making her way to the door.

* * *

"Link, quit staring at him!" Mido growled. "You're just asking for a fight, aren't you?"

"I'm worried about Zelda," Link replied. "She had a bit of a run-in with Ganon this morning, and she even stopped him from cracking my skull open, but I'm worried that he might go after her now."

"You have all the right to worry," Sheik muttered. "Ganon isn't the type of guy that likes to lose."

Link kept watching Ganon, and then he bit his lip when he saw Ganon stand up from his table and leave the cafeteria.

"That's it, I'm going," Link said worriedly, standing up from the table too.

"Link, what makes you think you can beat Ganon?" Mikau asked him.

"I can beat him because I have something worth protecting," Link muttered. "If he's going after Zelda, then I can't let him hurt her."

The rest of the boys were silent as Link walked out of the cafeteria.

* * *

Saria took a bite out of her cupcake, and spotted Link leaving the cafeteria.

"Uh oh," she said under her breath.

"What is it, Saria?" Alexis asked.

"Link just left the cafeteria... I've got a bad feeling about this..."

"There's nothing we can do though," Malon sighed. "Besides, the three of them could be going to completely different locations. I mean, Ganon stepping foot in a _library_? I bet he's never even _seen_ this school's library!"

"You're right... We just have to cross our fingers and hope that nothing happens."

* * *

Link quickly walked through the hallways of the Hyrule Academy. He had seen Zelda come down this way, but he had lost her because the music teacher, Mr. Evans, had stopped him to talk about his guitar club. Link had quickly ended the conversation, and began to walk down the hallways again, but he had already lost her. He was getting worried, mostly because he had seen Ganon come down the same hallway a few seconds earlier than when he was stopped by the music teacher. But Link already had a hunch that Zelda was going down to the library; it was the only room on the other side of the school that wasn't a classroom, besides the computer lab, but it was probably closed by now.

Link began to run, his heart beating faster from his constant worrying. But why in the world did Zelda have to go to the library on a day like this? Why did she even have to stop Ganon that morning? He felt that it was all his fault, but then he started to think that maybe Ganon wasn't going after Zelda... but what reason would Ganon have at this side of the school? He definitely wasn't headed to his dorm room, and the guy wouldn't set foot in the library even if he was payed!

Then Link heard something that he didn't like. He heard a scream down the hallway.

Zelda's scream.


	7. Revenge on Both Sides

**Sorry it took so long! I've been busy with exams and stuff like that, but school is finally over! Chapters will hopefully be released faster from now on. Please R&R, and PM me any suggestions you think would make the story better. **

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 7: Revenge on Both Sides**

Link began sprinting down the hallway after hearing her scream, and nearly fainted when he saw Zelda's bloody body lying on the floor in front of Ganon, his fists covered in blood. Link felt dizzy and sick, but he shook it off. She didn't even appear to be breathing...

"I'm going to kill you, you son of a bitch!" Link growled, running towards Ganon with his fists ready. He looked down at Zelda's unconscious body once, and then threw a punch at Ganon. He grabbed Link's fist, and smirked.

"You're so slow today," Ganon muttered to him in a satisfied voice. He began to twist Link's hand, sending a wave of pain through Link's arm.

"Why... why would you do this?" Link screamed.

"Because I felt a need to have some revenge," Ganon chuckled. "She decided to make a fool out of me... so I put her through a pain she'll never forget."

Link brought up his second fist, but it was stopped by Ganon's other hand. Link could see the blood on the terrible man's dark hands, and it just made him feel sicker. It was Zelda's blood, not Ganon's. And Link was going to make Ganon pay for spilling her blood.

"Your fighting isn't as good as usual," Ganon mumbled. "Is it because you can't stand looking at that girl's bloody corpse?"

Link swallowed, and glanced down at Zelda lying on the floor.

"You have such a weak spot for her. What makes her so special? Answer the question for me."

Link looked around the room, feeling a bit off guard from Ganon's question.

"She's special because... she's the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on... she's smart... she's funny... she's talented... and... she had the guts to do something that I never even dreamed of accomplishing! She defeated you!" Link began pulling his hands away from Ganon's claw grip. "I'm not going to let you do this to her!" In one swift movement, Link snapped his wrists out from Ganon's clutch, and in another quick movement, he grabbed Ganon's shirt collar, and punched him right in the jaw. Ganon fell back in surprise, but he quickly retaliated with a punch to Link's stomach. Link curled up, holding his stomach in pain and falling to the floor next to Zelda.

"You're so weak!" Ganon mocked. Link coughed once, and then slowly began to stand up again. He wearily caught his balance, and then cracked his neck.

"I'm not weak enough... to fall after one punch!" Link yelled, and grabbed Ganon's shirt collar again with both hands. He glared up into Ganon's dark brown eyes, and gritted his teeth in anger. He punched Ganon in the face again, hitting him even harder. Ganon wiped his mouth, and came back at Link with a swing of his fist, but Link dodged it, and punched him in the face again.

Link cracked his knuckles, wiping Ganon's blood from his skin. "What's wrong, getting tired?" he asked Ganon in a mocking voice. Ganon wiped his mouth again, and glared at Link with a fire in his eyes.

"Go ahead, do to me what I did to your precious girl," Ganon mumbled, smirking as he spoke.

Link grabbed Ganon's neck and threw him into one of the lockers, holding him against it. He tightened his grip around Ganon's neck, but not tight enough to make him become unconscious.

"I'm not going to do anything to you," Link replied. "I'm not trash like you." He punched Ganon in the face one last time, sending Ganon into the floor. Ganon laid there, staring up at the ceiling, not saying anything. Link turned away from Ganon, and then walked towards Zelda. He bent down and lifted Zelda from the floor, her head hanging off his right arm and her legs hanging off his left. He looked at her pale face, blood running from her forehead to her neck. Her lip was bleeding too.

"I'm sorry, Zelda," he whispered, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. "This is all my fault..." He carried her through the hallway, all the way to the main lobby of the school, and into the nurses' office. When he arrived, the nurse jumped out of her chair behind the desk.

"Good lord, what happened?" she asked hysterically.

"I'll explain later, just help her," Link muttered as he set Zelda on one of the beds. The nurse examined her wounds, and then wrapped bandages around all the cuts on her arms and head.

"She's lucky," the nurse said. "She'll be fine as long as she stays here. She just has a few cuts, nothing to serious. You're bleeding by the way."

Link blinked in surprise. "I-I am?"

"Forehead and mouth," she answered, not looking up at him.

Link left the nurses' office and headed to the nearest bathroom, the other students staring at him as he walked. When he was in the bathroom, he looked in the mirror to see blood running down the side of his face and down the side of his mouth. It made sense that he had blood in his mouth; the punch that Ganon had struck on his stomach probably made him throw up a bit of blood. But why was there blood on his forehead? Did the wound happen when he landed on the floor? Either way, he had to get the blood cleaned up fast. He splashed some water on the blood, and wiped it off with paper towel. After he had gotten rid of the blood, he could clearly see that there was a deep cut in his forehead.

"Dang it!" Link growled, staring at the huge cut. He pulled his blond bangs over it, which hid it pretty well, but he could still see a trace of the cut. And it was still bleeding too, which didn't help either. Link ran back to the nurses' office, and saw that the nurse was finished wrapping bandages around Zelda's wounds.

The nurse approached Link with a bandage. "Here, you'll need this." She wrapped the bandage around his cut, the bandage hidden under his bangs.

"Thanks," Link muttered, and walked to Zelda's bedside. She was breathing again, and her face wasn't as pale as before. She was just peacefully resting now.

"How long will it be until she's out of the nurses' office?" Link asked the nurse.

"That depends on how fast her wounds heal," the nurse replied. "She got beaten pretty badly. What happened to her anyways?"

Link clenched his fists as he stared down at Zelda's face. "Tell Principal Kaepora Gaebora that he should take a stroll through hallway fourteen that leads to the library. Everything will be answered..." Link smirked, feeling proud of himself that he actually managed to defeat Ganon. But was the guy even still lying in the hallway? That would be answered if Kaepora saw him there or not.

The nurse proceeded to the phone on her desk, and dialed the number for the office.

"Hello, Mr. Gaebora?" the nurse asked. "Yes, I have a wounded student here. A friend of hers told me that the reason for her beating can be found in hallway fourteen, near the library. Can you go check it out please?" There was a brief silence. "Yes, thank you. Have a good day." The nurse hung up the phone, and turned to Link again.

"He's going to go to hallway fourteen?" Link asked.

"Yes. You should head back to class though. Lunch will be over in five minutes."

Link sat down at the chair next to Zelda's bed. "Is it alright... if I stay here? I won't be able to sit through class if I'm worrying about Zelda so much."

"Alright, you can stay here," the nurse replied, nodding her head. She left back to the front desk, leaving Link alone with Zelda in the room.

Link turned the chair around, and watched as Zelda slept on the nurses' bed. He stroked her forehead with his thumb, looking down at her with a sorrowful expression.

"I'm so sorry Zelda..." he apologized again, laying his head down on the bed next to her head on the pillow. "I promise, I'll never let anything like this happen to you again... I promise..." Link felt a tear run down his cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb, and then continued to stroke Zelda's forehead. "I promise Zelda... I'll never let Ganon hurt you again... I'll always be there to protect you..." Link sat there, his head rested against the pillow, until he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Sheik tapped his fingers against his desk all through History class, waiting for his friend to arrive. Link had disappeared during lunch, and he hadn't seen him since. He was starting to get worried. He didn't like how Link had jumped up and chased after Ganon in the lunchroom. Something had definitely made Link anxious.

"Quit your worrying, Sheik," Mido mumbled. "I'm sure Link is fine."

Sheik looked out the window, and sighed. "You'd better hope so Mido."

* * *

Link opened his eyes when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He looked up to see the nurse standing next to him.

"What time is it?" he asked her in a drowsy voice. He still couldn't believe that he had actually fallen asleep on Zelda's bedside.

"It's four p.m.," she replied. "You should head back to your dorm room now." The nurse left again for the front desk when she heard someone ring the bell at the door.

Link stood up and took one last look at Zelda. He bent down, and kissed her forehead, then left the nurses' office without saying another word. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked through the lobby towards the doors, when Mr. Gaebora stopped him.

"Link, there you are," he said.

"Oh, Mr. Gaebora," Link muttered. "How's it going? Did you get a chance to see hallway fourteen yet?"

"...Yes, I did, and I have to say I'm very disappointed in your actions."

"Listen, it was his own fault. He decided to hurt Zelda... so I gave him a taste of his own medicine. This was all because Zelda humiliated him..."

"Never the less, I feel that you need to be punished in some way..."

"Mr. Gaebora, look at the wound on my forehead." Link lifted the bandage to show the principal the deep cut. "Now I want you to go into that nurses' office and look at Zelda. She's been wounded so badly by him..."

"I understand how Ganon can act sometimes..."

"Then why in hell's name do you let him continue attending this school?" Link yelled, not paying attention to the fact that he was raising his voice at the principal. "Do you know how many people he's hurt? Back in the ninth grade, he nearly broke my arm! Another time he tried to smash my skull open! And it's not just me either! He broke Mido's wrist back in sixth grade, he busted open Sheik's nose in seventh... do you know how many gang fights he starts in a day!"

Mr. Gaebora was silent.

"If you want to punish me, go ahead!" Link turned to the door and began walking. "But face it, while you're punishing the victims, Ganon is still hurting more and more people!" Link left the building, and continued walking until he reached his dorm, where Sheik was waiting for him.

"Link! Where have you been, man?" Sheik asked him the moment he walked in the door. Sheik was playing video games as usual.

"I've been busy with something," Link mumbled.

"What happened to your head?"

"I just had a bit of a run-in with Ganon..."

Sheik groaned, and paused his game. "Is that why you left at lunch?"

"Yeah, I guess." Link didn't really want to tell Sheik the truth that he had left to save Zelda. He wanted to keep that a secret to himself. "I'm going to bed now."

"Already? But it's only four."

"Fine, then I'm leaving to go for a walk," Link said impatiently, leaving the room in a hurry. Sheik was about to say something to interrupt, but he never got his words out before Link slammed the door. He began walking down the hallway, walking past the doors leading to the other rooms and towards the stairs that lead to the entrance of their dorm building. He ran down the stairs, and out the door, slowing down once he hit the grass. He caught his breath, and then he sat down next to a tree in the front yard.

"Link, what have you gotten yourself into...?" he muttered to himself. He couldn't stop thinking about Zelda. In fact, for the past few days she was the only thing he could think about. Even during guitar practices or track meet his mind always strayed to thoughts about Zelda. Her beautiful chestnut hair, her amazing eyes... he must have been an idiot to think that a perfect girl like Zelda could possibly fall in love with an idiot like him. He had let her get hurt... he knew that she wouldn't want anything to do with him when she woke up. Those memories of their first date, their first kiss... all of that would mean nothing. They would both part ways. She would go find someone else more reliable than him, and he would end up with some other girl that would never be as perfect as Zelda was.

Link blinked when he felt a tear run down his cheek. He wiped it away, and buried his face in his arms, watching the students go by towards their dorm buildings. And he continued to sit there, even as the students disappeared and the sun began to slowly hide in the horizon.

Link realized that he had nearly fallen asleep again. He checked his watch. It read seven p.m. He had to be in his room by ten if he didn't want to break the curfew. Sheik would also be worried to death; what a weirdo.

Link stood up from the grass and stretched his arms out, his back sore from laying against the tree for so long. He turned around to head towards his dorm room again, when he heard a loud screech. _Oh no, _he thought._ Ruto's back... why can't that girl take a hint? _Link kept walking, not bothering to turn around, when he felt the girl's arms wrap around his body, clenching his torso like she was dying, and she dug her face into his back.

"Ruto, how many times do I-" Link cut himself off though when he saw that it wasn't Ruto holding him, but Zelda. "Zelda? You're out of the nurses' office already?" Link asked, nearly breathless because he was so happy to see her. Link rotated his body so that she was facing him, but still holding on to him.

"Link, I'm so glad to see you!" Zelda cried, burying her face into Link's chest. There were tears running down her face. "I heard about what happened from Mr. Gaebora! I've been trying to find you!"

Link grabbed her shoulders, and looked into her eyes. "You understand... why I had to do that to Ganon, right?"

"That doesn't matter Link! Ganon is the worst of them all... I'm just so happy you did that for me!" She smiled, until her eyes spotted the bandage on Link's forehead. She placed her hand on it, and looked at Link with a worried look. "Did... did he hurt you?" She began to lift up the bandage, but Link grabbed her wrist before she got the chance.

"I'm fine Zelda..." Link muttered, lowering her wrist.

"Link, you helped me when I was wounded... you can at least let me help you." Zelda raised her wrist again, and this time Link let her continue to slowly peel the bandage off from his forehead. When she had the bandage in her hand, she stared at the deep scar forming on his forehead and where the dried blood lay inside the cut.

"That looks like it hurts..." Zelda whispered, like she was afraid that someone would hear her. She rubbed her thumb over the cut, wiping away some of the dried blood. Because the cut did still hurt, Link cringed a little, but he soon relaxed when Zelda held his head and hugged it, bring his forehead to her chest. She was only about a centimeter shorter than Link, so he didn't need to bend down for her to do this.

"I'm sorry that had to happen to you," Zelda apologized as she dragged her fingers through his hair.

"Don't apologize," Link said softly, closing his eyes from feeling so relaxed. "It's not your fault."

"But if I hadn't left for the library and just stayed in the cafeteria... maybe this wouldn't have happened..."

"It was a miracle you were near the library Zelda. Ganon could have attacked you while you walking down to your dorm room. If that had happened, I wouldn't have been able to help you."

Zelda smiled, and kissed his forehead. "Thank you..."

"You don't hate me for this? That I let you get hurt?" Link asked, feeling guilty.

Zelda pulled him away, and stared into his eyes. "Link, I wouldn't hate you for this. You saved me, and that's all that matters. Like you said, he could have attacked me on my way back to my dorm room... I don't hate you Link. I... care about you." She brought his head into another tight hug, and watched as the tears fell from her eyes and into Link's blond hair. "Don't ever think that I'll hate you..."

Link couldn't keep his heart from pounding so much. It was almost like she was telling him that she loved him, in a weird complicated way. But he had only known her for over a week... she couldn't possibly love him yet. He had about three more weeks to go before his time to make her fall in love with him was up. But it only took over a week for her to care about him... Link knew that it would only take a bit more time before she ended up falling in love with him.

Zelda brought Link's head back up again, and held his face in her hands, looking deep into his blue eyes. "I can never thank you enough for what you did Link..." Zelda giggled. "So I hope that this will be better than just a simple 'thank you'..." She smiled, and brought her lips into his, kissing him softly as she backed him up against the tree. They moved their lips together, their once soft kiss turning into a passionate one. Zelda moved her hands from Link's face and over his shoulders, bringing him closer to her. Link wrapped his arms around her waist, rubbing his hands up and down her back. They breathed heavily between kisses, filling their hearts more and more with lust for each other.

"Zelda..." Link breathed. "This isn't really the best place for this..."

It really wasn't. Let us be reminded that they were still outside the dorm buildings in the front yard. Of course, they were lucky that there weren't any students around to see them, but it still wasn't the right place for a kiss like this.

Zelda stopped, and rested her head on Link's shoulder. "I don't care Link... this is the only chance we'll get today..." She traced her lips along his jaw, until her lips reached his again.

* * *

Sheik stood up from the floor, and stretched his arms out. He had been playing video games for hours, and was getting extremely sore. He checked Link's bed, and realized that Link hadn't returned from his 'walk' yet. _Ugh, I'd better go get him_, he thought. Sheik left his dorm room and walked down the stairs. When he reached the door and went outside, he widened his eyes when he saw Link _kissing_ Zelda.

"What the... he leaves for a walk and I come to see him making out with the new student?" he muttered to himself. "Sheesh, things are getting weird all over the place..." But he didn't interrupt them anyways, and went back inside.

But even after he went into his room, Sheik couldn't help but watch them through his dorm room window.


	8. Sheik's Debut

**HELLO!**

**Okay, so for those of you who love reading this, you've probably been saying to your friends, "Uh oh, Shinigami-Zelda-sama hasn't been writing in a while... do you think she's dead? I really hope she isn't dead!"**

**The answer is, NO, I am not dead! In fact, far from it :D **

**So here goes: I am very very very very very SORRY for not updating in such a long long time! I know that you have all been waiting for the next chapter, and I figured that I would be uploading more because of summer vacation, but sadly, I haven't really updated ONCE during this entire summer D: Again, very sorry, and I hope that I will be able to update faster from here on out.**

**So, until the next chapter of Only Chosen Love, best regards to my fans out there and words of encouragement to read to those of you who haven't read this yet. I love having fans! And of course, if any of you have any questions about the story, or requests for what you think should happen next in the story, please, don't hesitate to ask! Your feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks, please R&R, and enjoy!**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 8: Sheik's Debut  
**

When Link finally made it back to his dorm room, he saw Sheik looking out the window. Then Sheik approached him with a smug look on his face.

"What?" Link asked.

"You totally kissed her dude!" Sheik exclaimed, pointing at him and keeping the smug look on his face.

"Yeah? Big deal, wouldn't be the first time."

"You've kissed her before? When?"

"First date dude."

"But you told me that you didn't kiss her!"

"Yeah, well, I lied, okay? It doesn't matter."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... you have to tell me what happened out there!" Sheik laughed. He made Link sit down at the bed, and then Sheik sat beside him.

"You know, the more words that come out of your mouth, the more I think that you're gay..." Link muttered.

"Shut up! Just tell me what happened out there dude!"

"Alright, geez. I was taking a walk outside, Zelda ran towards me, told me that she was happy that I saved her, and then we just... kissed. No big deal."

"Gah, you're so lucky!" Sheik exclaimed. "There are practically no girls so far that I actually have my eyes on..."

"Well, there's Saria, Alexis, Malon, Ruto... you could take Ruto off my hands, I would really appreciate it."

"I kind of like Malon... she's got pretty eyes..."

"There you go. If you like her, all you have to do is ask her out. It's not that hard."

"But...!"

"No excuses." Link got into his bed, and rolled over so that his back was facing towards Sheik. "End of conversation. Goodnight."

Sheik sighed, and went to his own bed, pulling the covers over him. He turned off his lamp, and rolled over, trying to fall asleep.

_Yeah,_ he thought. _Maybe Malon isn't such a bad idea... I'll try and ask her out tomorrow..._

* * *

The next day, during lunch, Link took Sheik over to Zelda's table. Zelda looked better than the previous day, and she seemed happier too. Saria, Alexis, Malon and Ruto were were talking to Zelda, freaking out over what Zelda told them. When Link approached their table, the girls all smiled at him, including Zelda. Even Ruto couldn't help but smile.

"Hey Link," Zelda greeted with a smile on her face. "How are you today?"

"I'm good," Link replied. Sheik started to turn around to leave, but Link grabbed his robe scarf and pulled him back. "This is my friend, Sheik. Maybe some of you have met him?"

"Hey Sheik," Malon said. "What's up?"

"N-Not much..." he stammered. _Goddess Din, this is embarrassing!_ he thought.

Link nudged Sheik in the ribs. "Come on, sit down with us. The girls won't bite." All the girls giggled, and moved aside for Sheik and Link to sit down. Link sat down next to Zelda, and Sheik, who didn't want to make much contact with any girls, sat down next to Link.

"Well, I might as well introduce ourselves," Zelda said happily. "This is Ruto, Saria, Malon, and this girl over here is Alexis." Sheik stared at Malon, and smiled. She smiled back, and continued to drink from her juice box.

"So you're a friend of Link's, huh?" Alexis asked. "I've seen you around the school. You were with us when we visited Link in the nurses' office when he was injured. You were also the one that got Link the chocolate pudding, right?"

Sheik smiled again, and nodded. _Wow, she remembers me!_ he thought.

"Yeah, you're definitely the chocolate pudding guy," Alexis finished.

Sheik groaned, and Link and the girls laughed. _That's all she knows me as?_ he thought. _The chocolate pudding guy? Man, that's not cool at all!_

"It's nice to meet you all," Sheik said, bowing his head.

"You're lucky to have a friend like Link," Saria said. "He saved poor Zelda! You're the best Link!"

Link blushed, and smiled. "No problem Saria."

Ruto looked around the room. "It looks like Ganon isn't here today... that's good."

"Please don't say that bastard's name..." Link hissed. "Trust me, he won't be around for a while."

"What did you do to him?"

"Punched him in the face really hard."

"That's our Link!" Ruto giggled, trying her hardest to flirt with him. "You're so amazing!"

"Yeah, cut the crap Ruto," Link muttered. She frowned, and pouted, turning around so she wouldn't have to face him. Link stood up from the table.

"Where are you going Link?" Zelda asked him.

"I have to, um... get something from my locker." No, what he really wanted to do was leave Sheik alone with the girls so that he could get to know at least _one _of them better. Sheik wouldn't get anywhere with the ladies if they kept talking about Link while he sat there! So Link left the table, left the cafeteria, and headed for his locker, hoping to be gone long enough for Sheik to talk to them.

Sheik smiled at the girls, and then he took a bite from the apple he had kept in his robe pocket.

"It's nice of you to come visit us with Link, Sheik," Saria said in her kind voice. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, a few years I guess," Sheik replied.

"You've met all of us except Zelda and Alexis!" Malon exclaimed. "You've known me, Saria and Ruto since grade school!"

"Yeah, I remember, I used to play soccer with you girls in fifth grade. We really creamed you girls."

"Malon could beat you any day at soccer!" Ruto bragged. "She's the best soccer player ever!"

"Ruto, quit it, I'm not the 'best soccer player ever'," Malon sighed, quoting Ruto's words with her fingers. "I'm just better than the rest of you. That doesn't make me the best soccer player ever."

"Well, I guess you'd have to show me those skills sometime," Sheik dared. Malon smiled at him deviously.

"You're on, blondie," she declared.

"Alright, a competition!" Saria giggled, clapping her hands.

"Let's just wait for Link to get back first, okay?" Zelda sighed. "I don't want him to miss this!"

They waited five minutes, and then Link finally returned, a smile on his face.

"Come on Link, you can watch me beat Malon at a game of soccer!" Sheik exclaimed.

Link looked at Zelda. "What happened while I was gone?" he asked worriedly.

"Sheik thinks he can beat Malon at soccer," Zelda giggled.

"Wow, I gotta hand it to you, you've got guts," Link told Alexis.

"Too bad you're not on my team, I could have given you a few pointers," Malon muttered.

"I don't need pointers for soccer, I'm pretty good."

"Then prove it on the field."

"You're on!" Sheik declared.

* * *

Link, Zelda, and Sheik stood on one side of the soccer field. Alexis, Malon and Saria stood on the other. Ruto was the referee. She held the ball between the six students glaring at each other with anticipation.

"You guys and girls ready?" Ruto asked.

"Ready to kick some ass? Of course," Sheik muttered. Alexis smiled at him deviously.

"Bring it on, blondie," she hissed.

"Alright, one, two... three!" Ruto threw the ball into the air, and the game was on. The first person to make a move was Link; he headbutted the ball towards the net. Sheik and Link ran after it, Zelda being defense for their net. Alexis and Malon were catching up to Link and Sheik though. Really, really fast. Link kicked the ball to Sheik, but his pass was interrupted when Malon slid in front of Sheik and kicked the ball to Alexis. Sheik tripped over her legs in surprise.

"That it?" Malon teased.

"Nice move," Sheik complimented. Malon helped Sheik off the ground, and then they began their chase after the ball again. Alexis was nearly all the way to Link's net, but Zelda was waiting on defense. Alexis kicked the ball to Malon. Link intercepted them from the net. Then, in one swift move, Malon grabbed the ball between her feet, and flipped into the air like a high jumper, her back arching up so that her stomach was facing the sky. Link and Sheik watched in awe as she flipped through the air and safely landed back on the ground. She kicked the ball, and it soared into the net.

"Holy. Crap," Link exclaimed, still in shock. "How in the world did you... where did you learn to do that?"

"I used to play soccer a lot as a kid, and I perfected a few of my own moves," Malon explained. "Alexis and I are also in gymnastics. I know how to do flips like that."

"You've got to teach me how to do that!" Link laughed.

"Yeah, me too!" Sheik laughed, trying to make an impression on her.

"No prob! I'll teach you guys after the game!" Malon cheered.

They continued to play soccer all through lunch. Thanks to Malon, the girls ended up beating the guys nine to three. And thanks to the game, Sheik was really starting to get to know Malon better. When the game was over, the group headed back to the cafeteria, with fifteen minutes to spare until they had to be at their next class. Mido, Mikau, and Kafei were already gone.

"That was the best game of soccer ever!" Sheik laughed as the group sat back down at their table.

"Tell me about it, you guy sure gave me a challenge," Malon muttered.

"But you still kicked the crap outta us," Link snickered.

"So blondie, you want me to teach you some of those moves I used earlier?" Malon asked Sheik.

_Blondie now?_ Sheik thought._ Well, it's better than chocolate pudding guy..._

"I'd love that," Sheik replied.

"Alright!"

* * *

When the school day was finally over, Link immediately headed back to his dorm room. But when he made it back, Sheik was nowhere to be found. He looked out the window, where he could see half of the campus, and then he spotted Sheik in the corner, playing soccer with Malon in the field.

"Well, what do you know about that..." Link said to himself. He pulled out a few of his textbooks so that he could begin his homework. It wouldn't take him long, but he still hated it. Physics class was getting pretty tough, and unfortunately, he had a lot of homework to do for that class.

After about twenty minutes of working, Link's cellphone went off. It was a text message, from Zelda.

_Hey Link! _  
_How are you?_

Link raised his eyebrow in surprise. He hesitantly began typing a response to her message.

_Uh... Zelda, since when do you have a cellphone?_

_Just got it yesterday, and I forgot to tell you about it after everything that had happened._

_Oh. Then __I'm good. Doing terrible physics homework._

_That sucks :(_

_Tell me about it. I'm hoping to get it done soon._

_Already got mine done. Want me to help?_

_Hm, what's your opinion on question five?_

_Oh, that one took me FOREVER :( Yeah, I'll help you out on it. _

Link and Zelda texted each other for an hour, helping each other out on their homework. And after their homework was done, they began having a simple conversation.

_Are you looking forward to Christmas break?_ Zelda texted.

_Definitely. I get so bored of school sometimes. But there's still another month to go until the break..._

_Bleh. I'm going home to visit my family for my break. What about you?_

_I never really visit my parents anymore. I write, and I sometimes chat with them online, but that's pretty much it._

_Oh, you should visit them! I'm sure they miss you!_

_I might visit them near the end of the holidays._

_Well, at least you don't have any annoying siblings. My sister Midna is alright, but my stepbrother Zant is a pain in the ass._

_You have a stepbrother? You never mentioned him._

_Yeah, my mom just got remarried, and my stepfather has one son named Zant, so now he's my stepbrother. He's so ANNOYING! All he does is play his stupid video games! And Midna doesn't really like him either. _

_Hm, video games eh?_

_Yeah, I think you'd like to hang out with him. You two would get along well._

_I guess I'll have to meet him sometime._

At that moment, Sheik entered the room, a big smile on his face.

"Hey Link!" he said cheerfully. He looked at Link texting messages. "Who're you talking to?"

"Zelda," Link said. "You were playing soccer with Malon I see. How'd it go?"

"It was awesome! That girl is amazing at soccer! I even asked her out!"

"Good for you..." Link muttered, turning back to his cellphone. "Just don't be so enthusiastic all the time..."

_Sheik just got in the room_, Link texted. _And he's all happy 'cause he got a date with Malon._

_Oh, he likes Malon? Good for him. Malon seems to like him to._

_Well obviously, considering that she actually accepted his offer._

_So mean Link! I think they'd make a great couple._

_Well, we'll just have to see what happens. Sheik, Mikau and Kafei are now the only dudes at our table not dating someone. I'm dating you, and Sheik may start dating Malon._

_Wow. _Zelda wrote.

_What? _Link raised his eyebrow at her text.

_I remember when you told me I'd fall in love with you by the end of December... it's just kinda funny, because I kind of rejected your offer, and now we're dating..._

_Yep, and the deal's still on. _

_I know. And you never know what will happen either._

Link smiled. _Speaking of which, we have free time, right? Want to go out tonight?_

_I'd like that. This time though, I'm taking you someplace._

_Oh really? Where do you want to go?_

_There's this fun place not too far from here. Wanna go?_

_Sure thing. I'll pick you up in about fifteen minutes or so._

_Great! See you then!_

Link closed his phone, and then put it in his back pocket. He turned to Sheik, who was playing video games.

"Sheik, I'm leaving again, okay?" Link told him.

"Where you going?" Sheik asked, not taking his eyes off the video game.

"I'm going out with Zelda tonight. By the way, when's your date with Malon?" Link grabbed his jacket and his wallet.

"Tomorrow."

"Have fun then." Link left the room, leaving Sheik behind again for the night. Sheik turned back to his video games.

Link walked down the hallway, putting on his jacket as he walked. He went down the stairs and out the front door, stepping back outside into the sunshine. He walked over to the other side of the campus, where the girls' dorms were, and began walking through the hallways. They were the exact same as the boys' dorms in every way. Link went up the stairs, and down another hallway, before he reached Zelda's room, room number fifty.

Link knocked on the door. Several seconds later, Navi opened the door.

"Oh? You must be Zelda's date," she said. "Link, right?"

"Stop trying to act like you don't know me Navi," Link muttered. "We went to school together in the fourth grade, remember?"

"Hm... oh yeah, I remember that!" She opened the door and gestured for Link to come in. "Come on in, Zelda's just finishing getting dressed in the other room." Navi sat down on the couch with her laptop and began resuming her work on the weekly newspaper. Link sat down in the chair next to the couch, and began examining the room around him. The walls were a nice red color, and there was a large rug with flowery designs placed on the floor. A windchime hung from the outside window, and there was a television mounted on the wall, with several rows of DVD's and TV series seasons on a shelf below it.

After a few minutes, Zelda came out of the other room, wearing a black v-neck sweater and a pair of jeans. She was wearing a silver necklace, and a pair of silver earrings to match, along with a pair of black fur boots.

"Oh, Link! I didn't know you were here yet!" she exclaimed when she saw him, a smile growing on her face.

Link smiled at her, and stood up from the chair. He took her hand. "Shall we?" he asked in a polite manner.

Zelda giggled at his gentleman act, and decided to play along. "We shall."


	9. Karaoke

**Hello,**

**Back again! Geez, if I keep submitting chapters at a rate like this, it'll take forever to get to the good stuff! But I'm glad to see you all haven't stopped following my story, so I'm sure you'll all enjoy an update. I'm not so sure about this chapter though, I may change it later, so just be aware of that. . . also, for those of you that don't already know, I have recently put up a poll on my profile, with the question, "What do you think should happen next in The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love?" There are several choices for you to choose from, and whichever event gets the most votes will be written first. However, even if your choice does not win, DON'T WORRY, it will still appear in the story, it just won't be the next one to happen. I'll arrange the events from most votes to least votes (however, that's with the exception that the storyline will flow smoothly that way. If there is reason why the story can't work in a certain order, I may do some switching around. . .), so I hope you all get a chance to vote in the poll before I close it! The poll closes on December 5th, so vote while you can! **

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 9: Karaoke**

Link and Zelda held hands as they walked down the paved streets of downtown Hyrule Castle Town, the lights in this district brighter than in any other area of the city. They could hear loud rock and rap music from the cars that were zooming by, along with the laughter of people having fun at the lively restaurants and clubs.

"Where are we going?" Link asked for the tenth time that night.

"You'll spoil the surprise if I tell you!" Zelda giggled. "Don't worry, we're almost there. . ."

"I hope you're not taking me to a mechanical bull restaurant or something like that. . ."

Zelda elbowed him in the side and laughed. "No, we're not going anywhere like that!"

"Then where _are_ we going?"

Zelda smiled as she pulled him into a small restaurant. Inside, there was oriental music playing, and a man at the counter was throwing knifes here and there and quickly chopping up sushi for the customers. There were teenagers on the stage singing karaoke to the song that was playing on the television beside them, which nearly drowned out the oriental music.

"Wow, what a weird place," Link chuckled.

"We can go somewhere else if you want," Zelda offered.

"Are you kidding me? No way! This is probably the coolest place I've ever been to!" Link laughed and pulled Zelda to one of the tables. They sat down, and a waiter immediately came by to take their orders. Link ordered chicken teriyaki, and Zelda ordered ramen.

While they waited for their food, Link and Zelda watched the rest of the customers in the restaurant attempt to sing karaoke. Some of them were good. . . and some of them were really, really bad. There was even one group that was asked to leave the building because their singing was making the customers who were eating feel sick to their stomachs!

"Ugh, I think _I'm_ going to be sick!" Link snickered as he watched the last group walk off the stage.

"You sure are one to talk there, Mr. I-Don't-Sing," Zelda giggled.

Link rolled his eyes at her remark. "Ha ha, you made it funny," Link chuckled back.

The waiter finally came by with their food, steam rising from the plates, showing that it had just been prepared seconds ago. He set the bowl of ramen down in front of Zelda, and the plate of chicken teriyaki in front of Link. The food looked delicious, each and every piece of food on the plate its own distinct color, making the dish look like a rainbow of different things.

"Wow, this looks delicious," Link said happily as he grabbed his fork and went for the nearest piece of food on his plate. Zelda watched him with a smug look on her face. Then she reached into her bag and grabbed her cellphone, holding the camera at him.

"W-What are you doing?" Link asked nervously, moving his fork away.

"Taking a picture of your reaction!" Zelda giggled.

"Okay. . . but I don't think you're going to get much of a reaction out of me. . ." Link brought the fork back again, and put the small portion of food in his mouth. It was definitely something he had never tasted in his life. The strong but delicious flavor exploded like fireworks over his tastebuds. Zelda quickly pressed the button on her camera, taking a picture of Link's surprised face, his eyes widened on the screen.

"Good lord!" Link exclaimed. "I-I didn't even know a flavor like this existed! It's like heaven in your mouth!"

"I know, right?" Zelda laughed. "I told you it was good!"

Link took another bite from the food, savoring each bite as if it were his last. He ended up finishing the dish in less than five minutes.

"Aw, it's all gone. . ." Link sighed, a disappointed look crossing his face.

"Well, geez, you should have seen how fast you were eating," Zelda muttered. Her bowl of ramen had barely even been touched; she had been too busy laughing at the food-ecstatic Link.

"Um, are you going to eat that?" Link chuckled, pointing at Zelda's ramen.

Zelda laughed, and grabbed her bowl. "Nice try!" she laughed. Link and Zelda broke into a fit of laughter again.

"Okay, this is literally the funniest date I've ever been on," Zelda giggled.

A man's voice suddenly yelled out over the restaurant. Link and Zelda looked at the announcer that was standing on the stage, a mic in hand.

"Okay, so let's here your opinion on tonight's karaoke singers!" the man cheered.

Everyone, including Link and Zelda, booed.

"Alright, alright, alright, I get it, we're kinda low on singers tonight," the man chuckled. "So is there anyone out in the crowd who wants to sing tonight? Someone who can actually _sing_?"

Zelda looked at Link.

"No," he replied without giving her a second glance.

"Oh come on, you'd do great!" Zelda giggled.

"I'm not going up there."

"Fine, then I guess I will." Zelda stood up from the table and waved her hand at the man onstage.

"Oh, looks like we have a volunteer!" he exclaimed happily. "What's your name, young miss?"

"Zelda!" she answered.

"Well Zelda, do you know Levan Polkka?" he asked her. Link raised his eyebrow, unsure of what the man had just said.

"I love that song! I know the dance moves too!" Zelda cheered.

"Then get up here and show us your stuff!"

Zelda ran up onto the stage, replacing the man who had gone off stage to prepare the sound system. Happy music began to play, Zelda moving her hands to the music and then beginning to dance as the first verse hit. Now literally, the song made no flipping sense to Link at all. The song wasn't even in any specific language. All the verses and choruses were nothing but a bunch of gibberish. The only thing catchy about it to Link was the tune. . . and Zelda's singing and dancing. The words she spoke made no sense, but her voice was sensational, and her dance moves copied exactly what the original dancer was doing on the screen behind her. It was almost as if Zelda was the original singer and dancer for the song. And Link wasn't the only one who agreed; the crowds of people in the restaurant were all cheering like crazy, like they were at an actual concert. And Link couldn't help but join in with the cheering.

When Zelda was done, she jumped off the stage with a huge smile on her face, immediately running towards Link, who had resumed his position at the table.

"Well, what did you think?" Zelda asked as she sat down across from him again.

"Um. . . weird song," Link chuckled. "But really great. I knew you were good at singing, but I didn't know you could dance too. That's really neat."

"You think so? People keep calling me nerd because of that. . ."

"Well, no wonder. But I think you're pretty good at it."

Zelda smiled. "Thanks."

Link stared at her for a moment, and then smiled back. "Um, Zelda. . . I was wondering if. . . maybe you wanted to join the guitar club as our lead singer?"

Zelda stared at him in bewilderment.

"It would really help us out! Mikau keeps telling me I should sing, but I really don't want to do it. . . and you're really good, so I was hoping if you could-"

"I'd love to," Zelda replied before he could finish his sentence.

A smile grew on Link's face. "Great! You'll do awesome!"

The two left twenty minutes later after a conversation about the upcoming guitar club concert. Link and Zelda were now walking down the streets of Hyrule back towards the school.

"So the concert's just a few days before the dance, huh?" Zelda asked. "Alright then, we'll have to find some good songs to play."

"We can leave the song list to Japas. He's great at choosing music," Link replied.

"Awesome. I hope he chooses some great ones."

"We just need to make sure we're ready by then," Link sighed. "December is coming up pretty fast."

"Don't worry about it, I know we can do it," Zelda encouraged, taking Link's hand into hers. She rested her head on his shoulder, snuggling into him as they walked towards the school. Link's face turned red as his heart began to race. He had kissed Zelda plenty of times before, and yet he suddenly got shy when she snuggled into his shoulder? He considered it idiotic, and a little lame. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but he didn't consider it the right time to say those things. All he could seem to do was remain silent and hold her hand.

"Link?" Zelda finally said, breaking the deafening silence between them.

"Y-Yes?" he stammered. _No, stupid idiot, don't stammer!_ he thought, putting himself down. _She's going to think you can't even talk to her without getting nervous! _His face began to heat up even more in pure embarrassment.

"You're really nervous tonight. Is everything alright?"

Link bit his lip. She had totally seen through him!

"No, I'm fine, really," Link replied, trying hard not to trip up on his own words again.

Zelda stared at him hard, like she was reading the invisible words written all over his face.

"You don't have to be so nervous around me you know," she giggled.

"I'm not nervous," Link said again, blushing even more.

"You're face is as red as a tomato."

"I said I'm not nervous!"

Without warning, Zelda pulled him towards her, pressing her lips tightly against his. He suddenly became lost in the kiss, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around her body as if he might lose her. After what seemed like an eternity, Link finally pulled away, his face even more red than before.

"See? You're nervous," Zelda muttered.

"Ugh, fine, I'm _very_ nervous," Link admitted.

"Why are you like this around me? There's nothing to worry about you know."

"I-I just. . . I've never been in a relationship like this before. . . you're the first girl I've ever gone out with that I've been in such a serious relationship with. I guess I'm just. . . afraid to lose you."

Zelda smiled, and held his hands inside of hers. She placed her head on his shoulder, and kissed his neck near his ear, whispering into his ear, "Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you."

Link suddenly felt like this all wasn't real. He felt that it was just a dream and that he would soon wake up, only to realize that this hadn't really happened. He waited. . . and soon realized that this wasn't a dream and it was all real. Link looked down at Zelda, who was looking up at Link with a sincere look.

"See? I'm still here," Zelda said softly. "So don't think for a second that I'm going anywhere." She stroked the side of his face with her hand, smiling a gentle kind smile at him. She reached up and kissed him again, taking her hand from his face and wrapping both her arms around his neck, pulling him in even closer. They both breathed heavily in between the intense kisses, using their hands to stroke each other's faces.

"Zelda. . . I. . ." Link began, but was unable to finish when Zelda kissed him again. Link stroked her head, kissing her passionately, before pulling her away again. "Zelda. . . I can't hold it back any longer. . ."

Zelda stared up at him with longing in her eyes.

"Zelda. . . I. . . I love you. . ." The moment he said it, he slowly closed his eyes, not wanting to look at her in case of her having a bad reaction to his words. He soon felt something touch his face. He opened his eyes to see Zelda with her hand placed gently on his cheek.

"I know," Zelda replied, giving him a huge hug and burying her face into his chest. "I've always known. . . ever since you made that deal with me that I would fall in love with you. . . ever since you saved me from Ganon. . . I've always known. . ."

"But. . . you don't love me, do you?" Link asked, fearing the worst.

Zelda squeezed his hand. "Like I said. . . I have a really hard time trusting people. . ." She looked up to see Link's face, and smiled. "But I do have really strong feelings for you Link. You're the first one I feel that I can actually fully trust." She kissed him again. "So you don't have to worry about a thing, okay? I promise, I'll always stay by your side."

Link wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, rubbing her head with his hand.

"Zelda. . . thank you."

* * *

Okay, so relatively short chapter, but it was only because I wanted the ending sentence to be perfect in its own way. Anyways, there are a few things that I'd like to make note of from this chapter. For starters, the song that Zelda is singing in this chapter is called "Levan Polkka". The most well known version of the song is done by Miku Hatsune, as some of you may know as a Vocaloid. If you don't know who Miku Hatsune is, then I suggest you look her up on Google and do some researching. To some it up quickly though, Vocaloid is a computer-synthesized-singing software that enables you to write in words and have the singer for the software, Miku Hatsune, sing them for you. She has a horde of songs created by the company, along with lots of humerous, sad, scary, and interesting music videos that are definitely worth watching. For Levan Polkka, you can either look up, "Miku Hatsune sings "Ievan Polkka"" on Youtube, or you can search up "Dream Theatre - Levan Polkka". Either way, both good vids, and a very catchy song. Another song worth looking up would be "Love is War" by Miku Hatsune. You can also find different versions of the song sung by different vocaloids, such as Meiko, Megurine Luka, Kamui Gakupo, Teto Kasane, and Kagamine Rin and Len (but wait, you might not know who these people are. . . better start researching peoplez!) If you can't find the vids, you can just click on the links on my profile! Alright, enough of my talk, stop sitting there and go research Vocaloid! You'll all love it! Well, why are you all sitting there still reading this a/n? Come on, search it up! NOW!


	10. Upside Down

**Well, finally the chapter that I've been wanting to submit. . . since Christmas. Um, really really really sorry it took so long, but I procrastinate so much these days, not to mention I'm working on a bunch of other stories at the same time too. . . I'm really going to push myself to get the rest of the story out so you don't have to wait so long again. . . and I always have Mr. Bret (an MSN buddy of mine) to bully me into finishing it (btw, I really appreciate your bullying Bret, thanks for all the encouragement and help with getting the rest of the story worked out! You, MSN, and Skype are a pure life-saver!) Oh yeah, another thing I wanted to add: chatting with my readers is pretty darn fun, so if you guys and girls want to chat with me about the story or just anything and get to know me better, add me on MSN! :) Also, this chapter has been submitted twice because I wanted to change the ending (although people who already read the chapter already know where the cliffhanger is going to lead :P) So that's it! Hope to chat with some of you on MSN, through email, or any other sort of communication! :) (btw email is: )**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 10: Upside-Down **

There was a furious knock at the door. Link bolted up from his place on the beanbag chair, throwing his laptop aside, and ran to the door, grabbing the knob and pulling it open to be greeted by Mikau, Mido, and Kafei.

"Y-You guys?" Link stammered. "What the hell could be so important that you all had to show up and almost knock down my door?"

"It's urgent, Link!" Mido yelled. "Where's Sheik?"

"Went down to visit Malon," he explained. "Is it really that important? I could call-"

"No time!" Kafei grabbed Link by the arm, and pulled him out of his own room, dragging him down the hallway with Link half-stumbling over his steps.

"Have you gone crazy? What the hell is wrong with you?" Link yelled. Kafei ignored his swearing and yelling, and pulled him into his dorm room, Mikau, Mido and Kafei following close behind. Kafei released Link's arm, and before he could get away, Kafei slammed the door shut. And before Link had a chance to jump out the window and call for help, the boys pinned him into one of the chairs that surrounded a round wooden table. The boys took their places in the other chairs around the table.

"Important dude meeting!" Mido announced.

"W-What?" Link stammered, confused by their actions.

"The winter formal dance is coming up in a few weeks, and we need to get dates!" Mido continued.

Link sighed. "You burst into my room without being invited, _kidnapped_ me, and then trapped me in this sweaty dorm room all so you could talk about _that_?" Link growled. "You really have lost your minds! You realize you could get arrested for pulling off a stunt like kidnapping a person!"

"Not important!" Mikau said. "We need to find dates!"

"What about Sheik? Do you plan on kidnapping him too? I don't think he'll like it if you burst in on him and Malon during their date," I growled.

"Eh, he's obviously already got a date for the dance with Malon, so we don't need to worry about him," Kafei said casually.

"Why did you drag _me_ down here then?" Link asked. "I have Zelda, I don't need to worry about finding a date!"

"Your case is different," Mikau hissed, giving Link a grim and scary look. A chill went down Link's spine.

"D-Don't look at me like that, it creeps the shit out of me!" he snapped.

"Stay focused!" Mido said, hitting his fist against the desk. "We need dates! We don't want to have to relive _last_ year's horrific events, now do we?"

The entire group groaned and turned red as they sank into their seats.

"Exactly my point," Mido continued. "First of all, does anyone here have any girls in mind they want to ask?"

"A-Alexis," Kafei stammered. "She's really cute and-"

"Spare me the details," Mido interrupted. "Okay, so Kafei and Alexis. Mikau, what about you?"

"Don't know yet. I might ask Lulu," Mikau said.

"Lulu. Really?" Link scoffed. "I was hoping you'd pick Ruto. Maybe then she'd leave me alone."

"Well, Ruto's good too, but she's kind of. . . pushy," Mikau sighed. "Besides, do you really think she'd take her eyes off 'the amazing Link' and set them on me? I highly doubt it."

"We'll just say it's either Lulu or Ruto then," Mido said. "Sheik already told me that he invited Malon, and she agreed, so we don't have to worry about him. Now, as for _you_-" Mido pointed at Link with a smug look on his face. "-you're with the girl who never dates guys. And you're probably the guy she's been in a relationship with longest. So will she go with the winter formal with you? That's the big question."

"Well, I haven't asked her yet; she may say yes, she may say no," Link muttered.

"And if she says 'no'?" Mido challenged. "Who would you go with?"

Link shook his head. "If I couldn't go with Zelda, then I wouldn't go with anyone."

Mido's jaw dropped. "W-What? But don't you remember last year?"

"Yes, I do. But just throwing aside Zelda if she says no is stupid and cruel in itself."

Mido sighed and lowered his head. "Alright then. She'll probably say yes, but if she says no, then I guess that's your own problem, not mine."

"You're one to talk," Link growled. "Who the hell are you going with? The only person that I see you actually being compatible with is Saria."

"T-That doesn't matter," Mido stammered.

"Uh, yeah, it _does_ matter. You're the one that kidnapped me in the first place; so you can at least give me some valuable information, yeah?"

"Since when is it the hostage getting information, huh?" Mido said. "Isn't it usually the other way around?"

"Yeah, usually," Link agreed. "But you owe me - _big time_."

"I'll tell you when I find a date," Mido muttered.

"Wimp," Link insulted.

"Loser," Mido retaliated.

"Midget."

"Lazy-ass."

"And proud of it, you retard."

Mikau slammed his hands against the table. "Both of you, shut up!" he yelled. "We have no time to be insulting each other!"

Mido and Link sank back into their chairs.

"Is that really all you wanted to discuss?" Link asked. "I'd like to get back to my room before Sheik gets back and realizes that I'm gone. He's spazzed out before."

"I-I think so," Mikau stammered. "We have a concert coming up, but that's not for another few months. We have to do something big for that; we need more members to join the guitar club, so we need to do something to catch their attention."

"Why don't we just get in one of those famous girl singers that all the chicks have been fainting over?" Kafei suggested.

"No way, those girls charge a billion rupees just to use the bathroom facilities; and even our school bathrooms probably wouldn't be good enough for them," Mikau laughed.

"Okay, so there's the school concert. Anything else?" Link asked.

"Oh, Ganon got out of suspension today," Mikau added. "Might want to watch your back, Link."

Link groaned. "I _knew_ today wasn't going to be any good. I should have known that Ganon was going to get out of suspension soon." Link sighed. "But I guess there's nothing we can do; may as well just move on. Anything else?"

"School concert, winter formal, Ganon. . ." Kafei counted down on his fingers. "As far as I know, that's it. Besides homework, I can't think of anything else we have to do.

"Good, which means I can relax," Link sighed, getting up from his chair, "and I can get the hell out of here."

"No, wait Link!" Mido called as he grabbed a video game controller. "We're just about to play an online video game!"

"W-What?" Link stammered.

"Join us!" Mikau laughed, joining in on Mido's joke as he grabbed a controller as well. "Join the dateless world of online gaming!"

"I have a girlfriend!" Link yelled in panic as he ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Link leaned against the door and sighed, tired from the stress of having to deal with so many things at once. Sure, he only had to get a few homework assignments done and find a way to get the guitar club more publicity by the next concert, but there was also the tension of asking Zelda to the winter formal. She didn't even love him yet; would she want to go to the dance with him?

Link sighed again as he turned down the hallway and started to walk down the hallway to his dorm room.

_Something to do for the school concert. . ._ Link thought as he walked. _Those girl singers would be great to have, and it wouldn't be too bad to get those two guys from their group too. . . the blue-haired guy's voice may be a bit too high for us lesser guys to handle though. . . that other band could come in; they're much cheaper. . . but for us, still pretty expensive. We could fundraise, but again, there aren't a lot of people out there who care about our club; it all comes down to who we're going to get._

"Hatsune Miku, Megurine Luka, Kagamine Rin and Len," Link counted the singers to himself as he slowly walked down the hallway, "Kaito, Kasane Teto, Meiko, Megpoid Gumi. . . but they're all way too. . . _girly_! Even the Kagamine boy twin sounds like a chick. . . Billy Talent is good, but I don't think the school would approve of all the depressing lyrics. . ."

When Link made it back to his room, he groaned in defeat as he fell back into his bean bag chair, rearranging his posture so that he was upside-down and facing the open door. He figured he could people-watch while he waited for Sheik to get back from his date with malon. they had gone out to breakfast, and he doubted that they would come home right after that. He just stared out the door, watching the odd student pass by. It was the weekend, a Saturday, so he was a little surprised why there weren't a lot of students walking by; but then again, most of them were either in their rooms playing video games, studying, or hanging out with their dates for the day. And he, including the rest of his group, had nothing to do.

So he sat there, for at least two hours, watching the hallway traffic. Some people stopped and waved, some people gave him funny looks, some people even offered to close the door for him but he refused. A few people even asked if he wanted to play video games, but said he didn't have anything worth playing. By the time that Sheik finally walked in the door, Link was certain that all the blood in his entire body had rushed to his brain, making his eyes feel like they were going to pop out of the sockets.

"Whoa, dude, you okay?" Sheik asked as he tilted his head, trying to match his gaze with the still upside-down Link.

"Y-Yes. . ." Link said, his words droned from being upside down.

"Your entire face is red. I'd get up now if I were you."

"Nah, think I'll stay like this a little longer," Link said. He was too lazy, too tired, and too stressed to want to get up from his comfortable position on the beanbag chair. He sounded drunk from his position, but he didn't care; he didn't think his brain would obey anyways, considering all the overdoses of blood it was getting.

"Suit yourself, but I'm not driving you to the hospital," Sheik snickered as he passed him by, dropping his bookbag that he had taken with him on the bed. Link continued to look out to the hallway, even after Sheik closed the door.

"How was your morning with Malon?" Link asked as he stared at the blank brown door.

"Pretty good," Sheik replied.

"She hasn't done anything stupid yet? Force you to buy her breakfast? She made you pay for breakfast, didn't she?"

"No, actually, we split it between us."

"Oh. Guess she _does_ like you, if she's treating you kindly like that. I remember when I dated her back in eighth grade; I swear to God she made my pay for everything. I ended up broke by the end of the day. And half the stuff she made me buy was completely useless - teddy bears and books and all that shit."

"Oh yeah, I remember that. You had a hard time paying the fee for that year's field trip because of that."

"Yep, it was a pain in the ass. But at least she's not mooching off of you for cash; guess she finally realized what a pain she was when she did that," Link muttered.

Sheik gave a light nudge to the back of Link's beanbag chair. "Well, I like her."

"Uh-huh. That's great-"

Link's words were cut off by a loud banging on the door and the sound of laughter out in the hallway.

"Oh shit," Link swore. "I forgot. Mikau told me earlier that Ganon got out of suspension. That was probably him out there." Link finally got out of his beanbag chair and headed for the door, dizzy from sitting in the same upside-down position all day long. He grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, but they were already gone. Then as Link turned around, he suddenly saw what the big joke was. Written on the door in black un-washable graffiti were the words "KISS-ASSES".

"God-dammit," Link sighed as Sheik stepped outside to examine the door. Sheik scratched at the paint with his thumbnail.

"This stuff isn't going to come off, is it?" Sheik said.

"Afraid not," Link sighed again. He stared at the words for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to get rid of the door before the school faculty found out about it.

"How about we just take red paint and replace the 'S' with a 'K' so that it says, 'KICK-ASSES?'" Sheik suggested. "That would actually be kinda cool. . ."

"Yeah, it would, but we'd still be in trouble for vandalizing school property," Link said. "There's no way to prove that it was Ganon who did this; it's not like he dots his eyes with smiley faces or hearts anything - it would be pretty damn funny if he did."

"Hmm. . ." Sheik said to himself. "How about, overnight, we sneak out and take our door off the hinges, take Ganon's door off its hinges, and switch them? We wouldn't be the ones in trouble, and it would be turning the tables on Ganon too."

Link smiled. "I like that idea," he laughed. "We'll do it tonight after we're sure everyone's asleep. We have to be quiet too. Make sure you have a screwdriver somewhere."

"Yes, Captain," Sheik snickered as he made a soldier-like salute to his roommate.

Zelda paced around the room anxiously, chewing at her thumbnail viciously while Navi watched from her spot on the bed, her laptop on her knees.

"Zelda, please stop doing that, it's getting annoying," Navi said.

"I'm sorry! It's just things were going so well, and then this happens!" she yelled.

"Look, I'm sure you could just talk some sense into the old man; doesn't hurt to try."

"Do you _know_ him? He's as stubborn as a pack of mules! Once he makes a decision, he never goes back on it!"

"Well, I can't help you with that! You're just going to have to figure something out on your own!"

Zelda groaned and charged out of the room, taking her cellphone with her. She ran down the hallway, skipping down the stairs two at a time and then charging outside, heading in the direction of the boys' campus area. She ran as fast as she could, trying not to trip over her feet until she made it to the door, grabbing the handle and pulling the door open. When she was inside the building, she charged back up the stairs and turned down the hallway towards Link's room.

_This can't be happening!_ Zelda thought as she ran. _Not now! Not now of all times!_

Zelda slid around a corner, and spotted Link standing in the hallway, facing his door with a smile on his face. She sprinted towards him as fast as she could, and when he saw her and realized she was running at him, she jumped into his arms, tears running down her cheeks.

"Zelda?" Link said, surprised by her teary face. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"L-Link. . ." she stammered, choking on her tears.

"Hey, calm down," Link whispered as he bent down slightly to wipe away her tears.

Zelda looked up at Link, her eyes filled with tears.

"Link. . . I can't be with you anymore."


	11. Words That Were Never Said

**. . .**

**I am so terribly sorry. **

**There you go, Bret! Happy now? Geez. . . but I guess I'm glad that I finally got this chapter done :) thanks for the. . . positive encouragement. Hope you all enjoy this chapter! It's the chapter you've all been waiting for! (at least, most of you. A lot of you are probably just waiting for the lemon parts, you dirty children X3 **

**Note: Also, a few of my readers noticed a. . . weird little typo in this chapter. I must also apologize for that, because I'm pretty sure that was my sister trolling me again D: Every time I leave my files alone on the computer, she goes on and writes something stupid (trust me, it's not the first time I've published something online with a chapter messed up because of her). Hopefully it doesn't happen again :) I apologize for the confusion as well (but I'm sure you got a good laugh out of it, right? XDD)  
**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 11: Words That Were Never Said**

Link stared at Zelda with a blank look.

"W-What?" he asked, confused by her words.

"You heard me Link," Zelda snapped. "We can't be together anymore."

Link stumbled a bit, like he was about to faint, but he caught himself and tried to balance himself as much as possible.

"Zelda. . . why? Is it something I did?" Link asked, his voice quivering and altering between sobbing and yelling. He grabbed Zelda's shoulders and stared back into her sorrowed eyes – her eyes appeared red, as if she had been crying earlier. "Please, talk to me!" Link lowered his face and stared down to the floor, trying to hide the tears that had started to emerge, but it was already obvious by the way his body was shaking.

Zelda placed her hand on his head, trying to comfort him. "Link. . . please don't be upset. . . I just think it's the right thing. . ."

Link suddenly stopped shaking, and he felt the tears dry up immediately.

"You're lying. . ." he muttered under his breath. "I can tell that you're lying." He looked up at Zelda with a stern and serious look. "Tell me the truth. Why do you want to end this now?"

"I'm not-"

"Yes, you are! I can always tell when you're lying! You're a terrible liar."

Zelda became silent, and then looked away for a minute before replying, "You really want to know?"

Link nodded.

Zelda took a deep breath, recollecting her thoughts and calming herself down.

"Link, I have no choice but to break up with you," she said, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. "You. . . you didn't do anything wrong. It's purely my fault."

"Your fault? W-Why would it be your-"

"My father wants us to split up. He knows your uncle well apparently, and he said that he never liked him. Apparently my father has quite a vendetta against your family – at least, on your dad's side."

Link stared at her in confusion. "So. . . because your dad said so? That's the only reason?"

"I know, it sounds stupid," Zelda sighed. "I called my family the other day to check up on them, and I ended up telling my father about you. . . when he realized who you actually were, well, his temper blew."

Link's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? What happened?"

Zelda shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it out here."

Link nodded. So he led her to his room, and sat her down on his bed. He sat in a chair across from her.

"Start from the beginning and tell me what happened," Link asked in a soothing voice.

Zelda took a deep breath, and stayed silent for a few moments. She stared at her feet, and then finally began to speak, not taking her eyes off the ground.

"I try to stay in contact with my family as much as possible, because they worry about me being on my own. My father – my _step_-father – recently married my mother, which means that I have a new brother, Zant. Zant really has nothing to do with this though. My step-father is extremely overprotective. When he found out I was dating you, and that your uncle was Blake, who apparently played pranks on my step-father a lot when they were in school, he flipped out and said that I shouldn't be going out with a reckless person like you." Zelda's face cringed. "And this is from my step-father, not me, 'I don't want an innocent girl like you dating a reckless, stupid, underachieving moron like him'." Zelda bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears. "He just doesn't seem to understand that you're Blake's nephew, not Blake himself!"

Link let out a stress-releasing sigh, trying to calm himself down and think through the situation properly.

"So. . . you're dad has a vendetta against my uncle?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who's your dad – er, step-dad – anyways? Should I know him?"

"His name is Irwin," Zelda said.

Link smirked. "Irwin? That guy that owns the big phone company?"

Zelda nodded.

"Yeah, of course I know him! Well, we never actually _met_, but Uncle Blake told me about him all the time. Turns out the two of them were real dicks to each other back in high school."

"Then it makes perfect sense that he wouldn't want me dating you!" Zelda sighed in defeat.

Link sighed again and scratched the back of his head. "Does your step-dad really have the authority to do that? I mean, he's not even your blood father. . . has he been your step-dad long?"

"My mother and Irwin have been married for about two years now," Zelda answered.

". . . Well, he still shouldn't have that much control over your social life," Link muttered. "It's unfair."

"Tell me something I don't know," Zelda muttered back. "I've told mother about it, but she just doesn't seem to see if from my same point of view. But then again, she's not the one who's getting their social life crushed on."

Link sat down next to her on the bed, and held her hand tightly.

"Don't worry, Zelda," Link said in a soothing voice. "We'll get through this. I'm not going to give you up that easily. Not without a fight."

"Link. . . thank you. . ." Zelda whispered, and leaned in towards him.

The door suddenly burst open, revealing Sheik and Mido with a can of black spraypaint and mischievous looks on their faces.  
"Sheik!" Link snapped, annoyed from their sudden intrusion. Although it was Sheik's room too, Link still felt that he should have knocked first. "What is it?"

"We're going to initiate the Plan!" Sheik snickered as he rubbed his hands together like an evil genius. "We're ready to turn ourselves into kickasses, and Ganon into a _real_ kiss-ass!"

Link rolled his eyes and waved his hand at them in a shooing motion. "Get out of here! I told you, we're not doing that until tonight when Ganon leaves for late-night power-lifting! Go! Out! Now!"

Sheik and Mido groaned and walked away down the hallway, taking their spraypaint with them.

"What was that all about?" Zelda asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

Link sighed and rubbed his forehead, trying to soothe his headache. "Nothing. Forget about it."

Zelda smiled, becoming aware of their prank, even though she didn't exactly know what it was that they were going to do.

Link looked back at Zelda, and made a small smile, trying to lighten the situation. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, not wanting to let go in fear of losing her forever if he let her go. Zelda dug her head into his neck, her body trembling, and feared that she would start bawling. She didn't want to make herself or Link feel worse about the situation – she wanted to stay with Link, she really did; and crying would just make the entire situation a lot more miserable.

"Zelda, look at me," Link said. Zelda raised her head and did as she was told, but it made it a whole lot harder to hold the tears back. He noticed her holding back the tears, and he hugged her as tight as he could. Unable to hold the tears back any longer, Zelda burst into a fit of crying, the tears soaking into Link's shirt. Link rubbed her back and kissed her head repeatedly, trying not to cry himself.

"It's okay, Zelda. . ." he hushed. "Calm down. . . everything's going to be alright. . ."

Zelda dug her face into his shoulder even harder. Link snuggled down into her shoulder as well, and continue to rub her back in a soothing manner. He lifted her head up by the chin, and smiled at her.

"I'm not going to give you up that easily, sweetheart," he whispered. "I finally got my hands on you – do you think I'm going to just let you go because somebody told me to?"

Zelda rested her forehead on Link's and tried to smile. Link smiled back, and kissed her forehead, and then resumed his position with his forehead leaning on hers. Then, very slowly, he moved forward, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Soft, and slow at first, but it grew in intensity and lust. Link held her face in his hands as he kissed her, rubbing her skin with his thumbs, and eventually moved his hands to the back of her head, combing his fingers through her brown-blond hair. Zelda did the same, dragging her fingers through his short dirty-blond hair. Zelda soon felt the tip of Link's tongue skim just across her bottom lip. She opened her mouth a little more, allowing the tips of their tongues to touch each other in each other's mouths. Zelda breathed heavily during the split-second intervals that passed between the movements of their lips, trying to get as much air in the short amount of time she had so that she wouldn't have to end the kiss. She didn't want to – because she felt that if she stopped kissing him now, and if he stopped holding her the way he was holding her, that this would be the last time they would every be able to kiss like this, that afterwards, he would disappear forever from her life. The thoughts made her hold onto him even tighter, pressing their bodies closer to each other, increasing the intensity of the kiss, as if it wasn't intense enough to begin with.

Zelda slowly started to lean back, until she was laying on the bed and Link was practically on top of her. But they didn't stop. They continued to kiss, only stopping to breathe for seconds at a time.

"Link. . ." Zelda breathed at one point, but the words were lost in another flurry of kisses.

Link finally stopped kissing her, and moved to her neck, placing kisses along her skin from her shoulder to her ear. Zelda sighed from the feeling, and tilted her head back, closing her eyes, relaxing her body completely as Link kissed her neck. His kisses soon became a lot quicker, as he placed his lips fully on her neck instead of just placing light, soft kisses. He dragged his lips down her neck, and kissed his way back up again, repeating the same thing over and over again. A moan escaped Zelda's lips, which was music to Link's ears. He smiled, and then tickled her neck with the tip of his tongue, leaving a very small dab of saliva on her neck.

"Link. . ." Zelda breathed again. She looked down, and saw that he was looking up at her with a very evil look in his eyes. She giggled. Link smiled in response, and then moved back up to her lips, kissing her just like before, dragging his fingers through her hair.

Link pulled his face away for a moment to speak.

"I'm never going to just let you leave me," he whispered in a sigh. "Not in a million years. Not now, not ever."

Zelda smiled, and kissed his forehead, then the bridge of his nose, working her way down until she finally kissed him once on the lips.

"I know," she replied. "I'm not going to leave you. Because. . ."

Zelda held Link's hands in hers, and kissed him again.

". . . I love you, Link."


	12. He's a Lunatic!

**This one's dedicated to a very good friend of mine :D You know who you are :D **

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 12: He's a Lunatic!**

It had been a week since Zelda told Link about her father's disagreement over their relationship. Zelda had contacted her father a few times to argue and tell him that she wasn't leaving him, but he wouldn't budge.

"You know you don't have to do what he says," Link muttered as he peeled the red peeling off an apple in his hand with a small knife. It was lunch time, and Zelda was sitting with Link's group instead of the girls – she would often take turns between places, so that she could hang out with Link's friends and her own friends an even amount of days. She had grown quite used to the loudness of Link's table, from the dirty jokes from Mido to Mikau who hated it when Kafei and Sheik started to fight, thinking they were better than each other.

"I know, but. . ." Zelda hesitated as she stared down at the table. Link cut a slice out of the apple and handed it to Zelda. She accepted the piece of apple and slowly nibbled at it while she continued to stare at the table sadly.

"But nothing," Link interrupted angrily as he waved the knife around in the air. "That's not the Zelda I know. The Zelda I know nearly hog-tied the all-idiotic Ganondorf. The Zelda I know wouldn't give up this easily."

Zelda finally looked away from the table to smile at Link. She knew she could always count on him to cheer her up.

"So, you two are still depressing over that thing with Zelda's step-dad, huh?" Mido asked.

Link nodded. He didn't like it when other people poked their noses in his business, but these were his friends, and he knew he could count on them to help him out with his current problem.

"I really hate him right now," Zelda grumbled.

"Well, you can do one of three possibilities," Mikau began. "One, you can calmly discuss your differences with your father and try to come to an understanding with him. This seems like the best choice. Two, you can ask your mother to try and talk it over with him for you – she might be able to get through to him better than you. Or three-"

"You can beat him up," Mido cut in, bashing his knuckles together. "Besides, we'd all know who'd win." He winked at Zelda and gave her a thumbs-up.

"No, beating up my step-dad would just make everything worse," Zelda muttered. "Besides, I'm not one to make grown men cry."

The entire table laughed and clapped for her.

"Good girl!" Kafei cheered.

Zelda smiled at their encouragement.

"Thanks guys," she said. "I'm glad I have friends like you to help me out."

They all smiled at her, and then continued to eat their lunches. She had told the truth – when she wasn't hanging out with the girls that had befriended her since day one, she was having fun conversations with Link and all his friends; or her friends, as she was now allowed to call them after having so many fun times with them.

"So Link, we haven't gone through with that 'plan' yet," Mido said in a very casual and innocent fashion. Zelda looked at Link curiously, wondering what Mido meant.

"Uh, yeah, about that. . ." Link began. "That's going to have to wait. . ."

Zelda raised her eyebrow at Link. He bit down on his lip, and started to feel his face heating up. As much as Zelda may or may not have enjoyed it, Link still had to either switch the doors so that Ganon was the kiss-ass, or change the message on his door to 'kick-ass' and put the words 'kiss-ass' on Ganon's door as a bonus.

"I don't think I even want to know," Zelda groaned, and rolled her eyes.

Link let out a sigh. _I hope she means that seriously,_ he thought.

"Hey, Ganondorf hasn't really been around much, has he?" Kafei said curiously as he took a bite from his apple.

"Kafei, please don't bring that up," Link groaned. "I've got enough problems as it is – I don't want to think about that oversized gorilla right now."

"Actually, you really only have one problem, Link," Mikau stated. "And that's the problem with you and Zelda."

"Yeah? I consider that problem big enough to count as a million problems. Not to mention I heard that my idiot brother Shade got kicked out of the school he's attending. . . again."

Zelda raised her eyebrow at Link. "You have a brother? And you growl at me for not telling you about _my_ family. . ."

"His name is Shade," Sheik began to explain for Link. "And believe it or not, he's actually Link's _twin_ brother. The only difference between them is that Shade has black hair, not to mention one is dumber than the other. For now, I'm going to tell you that Shade is the dumber one, but that can always change. . ."

"Sheik, shut up," Link muttered. "I don't need you to be calling me an idiot right now. And I don't need you telling Zelda about my twin brother either."

"The guy's a real douchebag," Mido continued for Sheik. "He's gotten kicked out of so many schools, it's like the teachers should just be smart enough to expel him from every school in the world. It would save them a lot of effort – not to mention a lot of embarrassment."

"Embarrassment? Why, what does he do?" Zelda asked, getting more and more curious now about Link's 'twin brother'.

"Well, one time he put a live tarantula in the principal's mini-fridge when he went to a high school way over in Termina," Mido said. "He didn't get expelled, but he did when the principal found a snake in his bookbag."

"But wait, how did he know that it was Link's brother who did that?"

"Two reasons," Mikau started. "One, for some reason, Link's brother Shade really likes to keep pets, but not the ordinary dog or kitty – instead, he has his room stock-full of snakes, rats, and the occasional spider – so anytime something happens that involves weird animals, everyone immediately looks to Shade. Second, sometimes if Shade really doesn't like the school and really actually _wants _to get expelled, he'll leave a note behind at the scene of the crime with a nasty message for the teachers – or whoever the prank was intended for in the first place."

Zelda tilted her head to the side. "Is he really that bad?"

"Don't get me started on that," Kafei laughed. "I went to the same school with him once. He got expelled from that one because he did something to the plumbing in the basement that caused the entire bottom floor to flood at least three quarters up. It was some crazy stuff, but we got a downstairs pool for the next week," he laughed.

Zelda laughed with him. At least this story of Link's brother Shade was cheering her up, but it didn't seem to be making Link any happier at all. In fact, he looked even more stressed out than before.

"Link, would you get a grip?" Sheik growled. "Come on, man, even Zelda is cheering up! Stop being so depressing!"

"I can't cheer up right now, I've got too much to deal with!" Link argued, raising his head up from the table to glare at his friends. Then he banged his forehead back against the edge of the table, giving him enough room to stare at his feet on the floor.

"Well, your problem I guess, not mine," Mido sighed.

"Ugh, why are we getting all down over this anyways?" Kafei asked in annoyance. "Link's always ended up in shit like this. . . okay, maybe not exactly like this, but he's always managed to pull through in the end, right? This is just another problem that he's going to get through and laugh about later."

"Huh, I hope you're right, Kafei," Link mumbled. "Is there anyone I can at least relate to? Sheik, how goes you and Malon? Any girl problems?"

"No, not yet. . . although I find her quite aggressive sometimes, but I think that's just what makes her so unique," Sheik said. "But no problems yet. Sorry."

Link groaned again in defeat. "You're the only one I can ask too. . . gah, this is a nuisance!"

"Link, shut up, would you?" Mikau yelled. "Goddess Din, you sound like a little girl, always crying and complaining!"

"You wanna go, Mikau?" Link threatened.

"Are you asking for me to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours?" Mikau threatened back, standing up from his spot at the table.

"Bring it, you goddamn fish!" Link also stood up from his spot.

"Both of you, stop it!"

The two boys were suddenly catapulted off their feet and thrown onto the floor, their heads hitting the ground hard, the wind getting knocked out of them. When they looked up, they saw Zelda standing on the table, on the spot in between where they had been yelling at each other. She brushed her hands together, and sighed.

"What am I going to do with you?" Zelda asked with a smile. As she got down from the table, Link and Mikau got up from the floor, the students that had seen the two of them get thrown watching them as they made their way back to the table.

"Are you, like, a black-belt in karate or something?" Mido asked with a laugh.

Zelda shook her head. "My family has been training in the martial arts for hundreds of years. We've perfected our own style. . . we consider it a mix between judo, caporeia, and kung fu. We call it the serpant-style - it's quiet and unsuspecting, but has deadly results if provoked."

". . . Cool," was all Mido could say. "So that explains why you can move so fast. I didn't even see you get between them and throw them."

"Oh, I didn't throw them," Zelda corrected. She flexed her fingers out. "I barely even touched them – I used the air current from my speed and the energy inside me to blow them off their feet and onto the floor. It just took a bit of a smack from my palms to get the air and energy through."

"Well, you blew them off their feet alright," Sheik laughed as he watched the two boys sit back down.

Zelda smiled. "Thank you for the compliment."

Link pressed a hand to his chest. "Yeah, but now I feel like I was just blown with a huge gust of air." He started to fix his bangs. "You even blew my hair back."

"Oh, so sorry," Zelda said sarcastically. "But I'm pretty sure there are more things to worry about than your hair."

Link stared at Zelda for a moment, and then smiled as he shifted around on his seat to get comfortable again. "Huh, so you're just as worried as I am about this, at least."

"Of course I am, Link," Zelda sighed as she rubbed her temples with her fingers. "I'm just not complaining about it excessively."

Link started to turn red. "I-I'm just. . . really worried about all this."

"Ew, ew, save all the cheesy crap for later, guys!" Mido interrupted. "Trying to eat my lunch here! Save it for later!"

Link and Zelda laughed.

"Alright, alright, fair enough," Link snickered.

* * *

Later in the day, still stressed out more than he had ever been, Link headed over to the carnival area of town. It was a special part of town that always held carnivals, year-round, where people played music and danced and rode on roller coasters. It was a place where he knew he could unwind and forget all the bad things.

It was also the place where he had asked to meet Zelda for that same evening. He had asked her right after lunch break had ended, before heading to their next classes. She had accepted, but the two of them were both nearly one hundred percent sure that the other was going to ask and start a conversation about the problem with her step-father's hatred for Link – or rather, Link's uncle, Blake.

When Zelda showed up, she looked angry.

"What's wrong?" Link asked her when he realized that she was mad.

"I tried again to convince my step-father, but for now, he's not budging," she growled. "You know, I don't even care what he says. I'm not leaving you."

Link smiled and put an arm around her. "Well, do you really want to put up that much of a fight if it means you getting in trouble?"

Zelda shot an evil look at him. "I already said it before Link – I'm not leaving. I don't care what the guy says; it's not like he's my actual father, and my mother has nothing against my dating you, so I don't see any consequences with this."

Link smiled again. "Alright. So what do you want to do? I already dragged you down to this carnival place. Want to get something to eat? Or maybe a ride instead?"

Zelda shook her head. "Whatever you want to do Link."

Link sighed. "Haunted house it is then."

When Link and Zelda made it to the girl working the haunted house, they gave her ten rupees to pay for the both of them, and then they went inside. Like any typical haunted house, it was dark inside, and the sounds of ghosts, chainsaws, and other peoples' screams could be heard.

"Really, a haunted house?" Zelda asked as if she wasn't impressed by Link's choice.

"Hey, why not? I used to love haunted houses," Link snickered.

"You realize that most of the people that go through here are five-year-olds? The older ones that are looking for a thrill just go to a wrestling match or something."

Link shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, it's good for a laugh."

The sound of a chainsaw emerged right from behind Zelda. She bit down on her lip hard and suddenly spun around, grabbing the person holding the chainsaw and flipping him onto the ground. The chainsaw ceased it's loud roaring noise as the motor stopped, and the boy started to get up from the ground. It was hard to tell what the boy's reaction was because he was wearing a long dark robe, with the hood pulled over his face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Zelda gasped as she helped the boy up from the ground. "But you really shouldn't stand that close to the people coming through here when you're the one manning the chainsaw."

"Well excuse me for not knowing that there were crazy violent chicks in here!" the boy snapped. "What's wrong with you? Don't you know this is a haunted house?" He picked up his chainsaw and held it over his shoulder like a sword.

"Wait a minute. . ." Link growled from behind the boy, grabbing his shoulder to stop him. "You sound way too familiar for you to be a stranger."

The boy turned around, and his mouth suddenly went wide.

"Hey there, little bro!" the boy laughed as he pulled his hood off, revealing his sleek black hair and his pale white skin.

"S-Shade?" Link stammered. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's called a part-time job, little bro," the boy laughed. "I have it in the evenings. I'm the chainsaw guy." He lifted his chainsaw up high in the air proudly. Then he turned to look at Zelda. "And who's this blond-brunette who's parading around with you? You can't possibly have a girlfriend, can you, little bro?"

Link turned red. "S-She actually so happens to be my girlfriend. Asshole."

Shade took Zelda's hand and kissed it. "Very sorry for snapping at you earlier, miss. I was. . . taken off-guard by your sudden attack. It won't happen again."

Link kicked Shade in the back of his leg, causing him to fall forward a little. "Cut the crap, Shade! You haven't answered my question! What are you doing here?" he asked again.

"We-ll, if you _must_ know, I got expelled from that private school in Termina," Shade said in an exhausted tone. "For some reason they don't like it when you stalk the English teacher and stare at her through her window when she's trying to sleep. Apparently they think I'm scary looking in the dark."

"No shit, Sherlock," Link growled.

Shade rolled his eyes. "So now I'm going to the academy here in Hyrule."

All the color drained from Link's face. "W-Wait, you mean the high school. . . here, in Hyrule?" Link asked nervously.

"Uh, DUH," Shade snickered as he made a cuckoo sign at his brother while crossing his eyes over. "Same school as you, little bro! And hopefully your lovely girlfriend as well."

Link let out a squeaky noise from the back of his throat. "No, no, this can't be happening!" he cried. "Now I gotta put up with you too? That's not fair!"

Shade patted Link's head. "Aww, don't worry about it so much, little bro. I'll be good this time. . ." He bent down to look into Link's eyes, and winked. "I sweaarrr." Then he smiled a creepy, mischievous, sharp-toothed smile.

Link swallowed and fell to his feet. "I'm doomed."

Zelda tapped Shade on the shoulder. "Wait, you're twins, right?" she asked. "And you're the older one?" "Yep, I was the one that popped out first," he said with a much kinder-looking smile this time. "By about, eh, four minutes. I always got to look after my little bro, you know?"  
Link let out a cry again. "I don't need your help right now, Shade! Can you just let me and Zelda enjoy our evening?" He got up off his knees.

Shade shrugged his shoulders in defeat and smiled again. "Eh, sounds fair to me. I gotta get back to work anyways." He pulled the hood of his robe back over his head again and ripped the cord on the chainsaw, the machine roaring to life and the chain on the blade ripping back and forth.

Link swallowed again, this time in fear, as sweat began to form on his brow. "Oh good Goddess Din, who trusted you with a damn chainsaw in the first place? Zelda, get over here before he gets you killed!"

Zelda shuffled over to Link, avoiding the range of the live machine.

"My boss, of course!" Shade laughed like a lunatic. "Have fun, kiddies! Watch out for the creepers!"

_The only creeper here is you, _Link thought angrily as he pulled Zelda out of the hallway and into another area of the haunted house.

"I never thought I'd see your twin brother here," Zelda said in surprise.

"Yeah," Link muttered. "Neither did I."

* * *

When they made it to the end of the haunted house, Link and Zelda sat down on a bench near the candy stalls.

"So, you weren't even the slightest bit scared of that at all?" Link scared. "And NOT counting Shade."

"Shade was. . . interesting," Zelda giggled. "But no, I wasn't scared a bit."

"Even when you flipped Shade? Or was that just a reflex?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm. . . reflex," Zelda answered. "I mean, who knows? He could have been a creep who wanted to steal my wallet or rape me or something."

"And Shade doesn't fit those qualifications either?" Link snickered, shaking his head.

Zelda shook her head. "I don't think he'd go as far as raping people."

"No, no, he'd just cut their heads off."

"Oh come on, I think you're exaggerating about your brother a little too much."

"Oh yeah?" Link challenged. "His favorite quote: 'Everybody deals with grief differently. Some people fuck at funerals. I cut off heads.'"*

"Uh. . . wow," Zelda laughed.

"Yeah, like I said earlier, he's crazy," Link said.

Suddenly, the sound of a chainsaw roaring could be heard a lot closer than it should have been. Link and Zelda turned around on their spots from the bench to see what the commotion was. There was Shade, chasing a little girl with a chainsaw like a rapid dog, the girl screaming her heart out with tears running out of her eyes.

"Okay, that's just mean!" Zelda exclaimed. "He's not really going to hurt her, is he?"

"Well, I can't really say," Link muttered. "He's a lunatic!"

* * *

**Well, not much romantic stuff this time around :P I guess this one was devoted to introducing Link's twin brother, Shade, who, if you've figured out by now, is Dark Link XD I also made a short reference to something up where the '*' was. For those of you that have played No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, you know what I'm talking about X3 A very awesome quote from the main character, Travis Touchdown. Uh. . . that's it :P**


	13. Shade

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 13: Link + Hell-Raising Personality = Shade**

_My first day with Shade. Whoopdie-doo._

"Okay, okay, so this one time, I told my little bro that Santa Clause didn't exist, right?" Shade started, his fifth story he had told the group at the table that day.

"Yeah, right," Mido said.

"Well, he didn't believe me, so I decided to prove it to him," he continued.

"Shade, don't tell the story!" Link growled as he let his head hit the table, not wanting to look up at the world's face ever again. "I've been humiliated enough!"

"No, I'm telling the story!" Shade laughed. "Anyways, it's Christmas Eve, and Link had put out cookies for ole' Sandy Clause, and even oats for the reindeer!"

"Zelda, please don't listen to this . . ." Link begged to Zelda, who was listening intently as she ate her pizza.

"Oh, lighten up, Link," Zelda sighed. "He'd be a hit at parties."

"Yeah, at _my_ expense," Link mumbled.

"So, I tell Link that I can hear heavy footsteps from downstairs, right?" Shade continued, his hands flying everywhere to exaggerate the feeling of the story. "Then he gets all excited and starts yelling, 'Santa, Santa! I wanna see Santa!'! So I told him to go downstairs and catch him!"

"Oh, I like where this is going," Mikau giggled like a little gossip girl.

"So Link starts to creep down the stairs, as quiet as can be, and I wait at the top to watch what happens. And guess what Link sees?"

"What, what?" Kafei asked anxiously.

"Uncle Blake with a mouthful of cookies, throwing the oats in the garbage and placing a handful of gifts under the tree," Shade snickered. "But that's not even the best part! The _best_ part was when Link saw him, and he asked, 'Where's Santaaaa?' Boy, was Uncle Blake surprised! He couldn't even give him an excuse when Link said, 'Does Santa not love me anymore?'." Shade burst out into laughter. "And then he started crying! Blake eventually told him that he was one of Santa's helpers and that Santa needed him to deliver the gifts to their house!"

Link hit his head repeatedly into the table. _Kill me now,_ he thought to himself. _Just kill me now . . . _Although, it wasn't the _worst_ one Shade had told that day, but it still wasn't making Link feel any better about himself.

"Okay, first of all, we were _five_ when that happened," Link yelled. "No five-year-old should ever be told that Santa Clause doesn't exist!"

"Oh yes, because Santa Clause loves _everyone_," Shade snickered as he poked at Link's face. Link looked away, trying not to get so angry as to punch Shade in the face. He was so tempted to, but the guy was his brother, and he knew that starting fights with anyone that wasn't Ganon would just be a waste of his time.

Link tapped on Zelda's shoulder, the sign that he gave that he wanted to talk to her privately. Zelda scooted over to Link on the cafeteria bench, so that she was in within whispering range of him.

"What?" she whispered to him.

"Are you free this Friday after school?" he asked. He just wanted to forget about all of Shade's teasing and have an evening with Zelda.

Zelda thought for a moment, but then she shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry, Link, but judo class is starting then. It's every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school."

Link raised his eyebrow at her. "You know judo?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I go with my friend Luna. She's pretty neat, but I can't say much for her boyfriend." She shuddered. "What a weirdo."

"Hmm, I've never met Luna," he muttered. "Does she go to this school?"

"Yeah, but she's a year ahead of us and doesn't really hang out with anyone during school hours. But I swear, after curfew, she's a party ani-mal."

Link let out a somewhat stifled laugh, imagining what this girl could possibly be like and how he could have possibly missed her.

"You'll have to introduce me to her sometime," he said. "Luna, right?"

"Yeah. I'd tell you her full name but it's a bit of a mouthful," Zelda laughed.

"What's her boyfriend's name?"

"Jacob," she replied. "But that's one of his middle names. Again, I don't even know the guy's full name; it's just as weird as Luna's. Oscar-something-Jacob-something." Then she laughed. "I honestly can't give you his full name, I swear."

"Oh yeah, I think I've heard of him," Link pondered as he started to nibble on his fingernail. "Yeah, most people call him Jacob, or Jake, right?"

"Yeah, barely anyone calls him by any of his hundred other names," Zelda chuckled. "His girlfriend hangs out at the dojo when she's not hanging with Jake. She's a little odd sometimes, but I guess we all are, huh?"

Link smiled at her and then got up from the cafeteria table. "I'll be back in a minute. I have to grab something from my room for next class."

Shade gestured at Link for him to sit back down. "Come on, do you gotta leave now? I was just about to tell them the story about the noodles."

Link's face went a beet-red, and he exclaimed in surprise and shock. "Shade, I swear on the Goddess' grave, if you tell that story, I'll chop those balls of yours right off!"

He playfully held his fists up. "Ooh, bring it on. It'll just make me tell the story of how I always beat you in karate and you cried every time."

Link sighed in defeat, and turned around to leave. _Just ignore him,_ he thought to himself. _Don't give him the satisfaction of an easy kill._

Link could still hear Shade's laughs as he exited the cafeteria, and couldn't get the lingering sound out of his head until he made it into his dorm hallway.

Standing outside of his doorway was a girl. After a bit of staring, he recognized her as Navi, from Zelda's dorm.

"Hey!" she yelled out to him.

"Navi? What are you doing here?" Link asked her curiously.

She grinned at him. "Hey, listen. There are a few new students coming to the school, Link. They'll be arriving tomorrow."

Link stopped, and then reached for his doorknob. "And . . . this should affect me _how_?"

Navi rolled her eyes, and followed Link into his room without even considering if he allowed that or not.

"Two girls. One boy. One of the girls looks like the journalist type," she began. "Her name is Fi."

"Mm-hmm," Link mumbled as he reached underneath his bed, pulling out an old textbook. He tossed it aside, and continued to dig around.

"The boy's name is Shaun. He looks like the intelligent kind of guy."

"Mm-hmm." He pulled out a pair of old shoes. He tossed them aside.

"And then there's the other girl . . . her name is Ren."

Link stopped immediately. He looked back at Navi, his arm still frozen underneath the bed and his body still sprawled on the floor, backside-up.

". . . Ren?" he asked.

Navi nodded.

". . . Kind of on the short side, blond hair, red streak through one of the bangs?"

Another nod.

"Lots of freckles? Thin figure?"

Navi shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, but . . . do you know her?"

Link got up from the floor and shook his head. "She's just an old . . . friend," he muttered.

Navi smiled evilly. "Oooh, I think I know what you mean," she giggled, and winked at him with a teasing smile.

Link shook his head again. "Navi," he growled.

"You two used to date, didn't you?" she continued with a wide smile. "Oh my god, that's like, the best thing ever!"

"Shut up, Navi!" Link slammed the door shut before Navi could make it outside. Navi flinched in surprise. "Navi, I swear to hell if you tell _anyone_, I'll kill you!"

Navi smiled at him. "Oh, I'm not going to tell anybody."

"I have a hard time believing you," Link grumbled, keeping his hand pressed up against the wood of the door.

Navi sighed. "You just don't know how to place your faith in people, huh?"

"Oh, I have no trouble placing my faith in people," Link replied. "It's _you_ I have a hard time placing my faith in. You can't seem to stop yourself from spreading gossip."

Navi poked his forehead. "Well, just because I know this is important to you, I won't tell a soul, mmkay?"

". . . Swear on your grave?"

"If I break this promise, I will do you the favour of digging my _own_ grave," she giggled.

Link let out a sigh of defeat, and finally took his hand off the door. "How did you find out about the new students anyway?"

Navi gave him another one of her evil, teasing eyes. "Oh, I have my ways." Then she turned around and walked very confidently out the door, and back down the hallway.

Link sighed again, this time more tired than before, and went back to his bed to finish fishing around for what he was looking for underneath it. After a few minutes of searching, Link finally found the rolled-up poster that was secured shut with an elastic band. He stuck it underneath his arm and then left his dorm room, locking the door behind him.

When Link made it back to the table, everyone was gone. He didn't see where they were until he heard Mikau's constant chanting and cheering from another table. All of his friends were surrounding another table, the table Link was sure belonged to Ganon and his cronies.

Link hurried to the table, and was completely astounded at the sight of Shade sitting across from Ganon, their hands locked together tightly.

"Come on, Shade, show him who's boss!" Mikau laughed. Shade let out a quick breath, and then took another deep one.

"You sure got a lot of nerve, challenging me out of nowhere like you're all high and mighty," Ganon sneered at Shade.

"What's going on?" Link asked Zelda.

Zelda looked at him with a smile. "We eventually told your brother about Ganon, and then he got up from the table and challenged the ape to an arm-wrestling contest."

"Shade, you're an idiot," Link grumbled to his black-haired brother.

"Shut it," he hissed back, trying to keep his attention focused on Ganon's huge fist that was locked with his little pale hand. "I can do what I want. Piss off, dipshit."

Link rolled his eyes and watched as Shade and Ganondorf's hands struggled to push the other over, their veins popping out of their skin and their faces tense with rage and the passion of competition.

"You sure are strong, considering you're the brother of a blond-haired pussy," Ganon laughed at Shade.

"This coming from the guy who got _beat up_ by a blond-haired pussy?" Shade laughed back. Ganon shot an evil look at both Shade and Link. Then Link shot his own evil look at his brother, for insulting him.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Shade muttered. "But Link and I aren't the same." Then Shade put a final push on his hand, and smashed Ganon's hand into the table. He lifted his arms up in victory, and let out a celebratory cheer.

Ganon lifted the hand that had lost to Shade, and cracked his knuckles. "Impressive," he snickered.

Link stared at both Shade and Ganon in awe. _Wow, nobody's ever beaten Ganon in an arm-wrestling contest . . . and if they did, they never lived afterwards to tell the tale_, Link thought.

Ganon got up from his table. "Are you in powerlifting or something?" he asked Shade.

"Nah, I just got an annoying brother to practice on," Shade laughed. Link bit his lip in disagreement.

"You should join the team," Ganon said. "Coach would love you."

_Holy cow, is Ganon actually getting along with Shade?_ Link thought to himself in surprise. _Oh, what am I saying? Of course those two would get along! They both hate me!_

Ganon playfully punched Shade in the shoulder. "Come on, we'll go introduce you to the Coach now."

Shade shrugged his shoulders. "Alright then, if you say so."

Then the two boys, along with Ganon's gang of thugs, left the cafeteria, laughing as they talked amongst themselves.

Mido turned to Link. "You alright, bud? You look kinda pale."

Link placed a hand on his stomach. "I just got a really bad feeling . . ." he sighed. "Something tells me this isn't going to end well."

Mikau smiled at Link, and patted him on the shoulder. "Look on the bright side, Link – at least now you know Ganon will be spending too much time with Shade to pay attention to you. You should consider this a miracle."

Link let out a sigh, and took his hand off his belly. "I guess you're right, but still . . . I've got a feeling that Shade hanging out with Ganon is just going to make my school year a _lot_ worse."

"Well, we've always got your back," Mido said confidently. "Besides, we can always just have Zelda beat up Ganon again."

Zelda rolled her eyes at him. "It's not like I do it for fun, you know."

After the day was over, Link met up with Zelda outside of the school, on the campus grounds.

"Zelda, I have a bit of good news, and bad news," he began.

"Start with the good news," she sighed.

"Well, there are a few new students coming to the school," he said. "That's the good news. There are three of them; two girls, one boy."

"Hmm, alright," Zelda said.

"The bad news is that I know one of the girls who are coming to the school," Link said, nearly choking on his words. "She happens to be one of my ex-girlfriends."

Zelda stood there staring at him for a moment. Then she smiled. "That's no problem, Link," she said happily.

Link stared back at her in awe. "You're alright with this? I mean, I swear, I have no feelings for her at all, and I-"

Zelda stopped him, placing her finger to his lips. "It's alright, Link. But if she tries anything, don't hesitate to tell me. I'll just take care of her myself." Then she smirked evilly.

Link smiled back. "You have my word," he said with a smile, rubbing her head. Then he kissed her forehead, and then her hand. "So, when are you free?"

"Saturday works for me," she said.

"Saturday it is then," Link replied with a smile. "As long as Shade and Ganon haven't beaten me up by then, I'll be there."

Zelda laughed. "Don't worry, I doubt your brother is _that_ cruel."

"Do I have to remind you of the chainsaw incident back on Halloween?"

Zelda stopped, and began to think. Then she sighed. "Yeah, I guess you've got me with that one. Ah, well. Just lock your doors and windows and stay out of their way."

It was Link's turn to laugh. He hugged Zelda, and then gave her a kiss before turning around and heading in the direction of the boy's student house. "See you tomorrow, Zel," he said, waving as he walked away. Zelda waved him goodbye as well, and then turned around to head to her own dorm.

When Zelda entered her room, Navi was already there, typing away on her laptop.

"What are you writing about now?" she asked Navi as she threw her bag onto her bed and sat down on the beanbag chair next to her roommate.

"The new students that are coming tomorrow," Navi said.

"Link was telling me about that," she replied. "Two girls and one boy, right?"

"Shaun, Fi, and Ren," Navi corrected. "Fi's already registered herself to be a journalist with the rest of us."

"Great, another person to spread rumors and stalk people in the halls with a camera," Zelda laughed as she reached for a bag of chips sitting on the floor, unopened.

"Hey, it's just as hard as doing schoolwork sometimes," Navi objected.

"You're worse than the paparazzi."

"No, there's a difference between us and the paparazzi," Navi argued. "We stalk students, they stalk celebrities; we work after school, they work all hours of the day; we go to school, they go to parties; we're loved, they're hated."

"Loved? Not really," Zelda laughed out loud, stuffing a handful of chips into her mouth.

"Oh, whatever, Zel," Navi sighed as she typed a few more keys on her computer. "Either way, we just love a good story."

Zelda pushed the bag of chips towards Navi, in case she wanted any. Navi reached into the bag and pulled out a couple chips, nibbling on them as she continued to type.

After a few minutes of silence between the two girls, there was a knock on their door. Navi stayed where she was, working away on her laptop, so Zelda got up to answer the door. Three girls were there when she opened it – one of the girls was Luna.

"Oh, hey," Zelda said to her friend. "What is it? Judo hasn't been rescheduled to today, has it?"

Luna smiled and shook her head. "No, no, it's still tomorrow," she laughed. "I just came here to introduce the two girls that are moving in. Their room is down the hall from yours."

Zelda looked at the two girls that were standing silently behind Luna. One of them was quite tall, with blue-silver hair that was combed out very neatly and very light eyes that matched her hair color in a very strange way. She was dressed in a short blue-silver dress that only travelled past her waist, and leggings that covered all of her legs, down to her ballet-style shoes. A jacket that was the same color as everything else hung over her shoulders like curtains, its fabric rippling like water. Every bit of her was the same blue-silver color, even the jewel that was pinned in the center of her chest like a brooch.

The other girl was shorter, just a few inches shorter than Zelda, and she was absolutely stunning. Her blond hair was bright and long, and a red streak trailed down through one of her long bangs that hung over her shoulder. Her skin was very smooth-looking, with lots of freckles covering her face, over the bridge of her nose and on her forehead; her arms were absolutely buried in little red freckles. Her eyes were a forest green, full of life, and she was quite thin, but not in an unhealthy kind of way.

"This is Fi," Luna said, holding her hand out to the blue-silver-colored girl. Then she gestured towards the other girl. "And this is Ren. Both of them will be sharing rooms together, down the hall."

Navi got up from her beanbag chair to go see the girls herself. "Oh, you're the new journalist, right?" she said to Fi.

Fi smiled and nodded. "That is correct," she said. She did a little bow. "I am currently enrolled in both ballet and journalism at this school as extra-curricular activities."

"I thought you two weren't coming until tomorrow," Navi pondered.

"That is partially correct," Fi said. "Today we move in – tomorrow we attend the Academy as students."

_This girl seems a little shallow . . ._ Zelda thought.

"Well, I can introduce you to the rest of the gang tomorrow after school," Navi said. "Or right now, after you've moved in, if you like. I'm sure Tatl and Tael will love to have a new journalist . . . and Ciela, of course."

"I look forward to it as well," Fi said with a smile.

There was a sudden ring from Zelda's pocket. She pulled out her cellphone, and opened the text message that Link just sent her.

_Zelda, I am about to experience Hell itself_.

"Who is it?" Navi asked curiously. "Your boyfriend?" Then she winked.

"Navi, stop trying to get fun out of my text messages with Link," Zelda growled. When she looked up for a brief second, she saw that Ren's expression had changed; now she looked rather serious.

_Of course,_ Zelda thought to herself, feeling a little irritated now. _When I say his name, she reacts to it. She's definitely his ex-girlfriend. _

Zelda went back to the text message, and began typing in a reply.

_Is Shade bothering you again?_

Only a few seconds passed before Link replied.

_Those two imbeciles teamed up and pushed me into the rose garden! I'm completely covered in thorns!_

Zelda gasped to herself, and then sighed.

_Don't worry, I'll be there in a minute to help you out. Don't move around too much._

Another reply.

_Hurry . . . it hurts a lot :'(_

Zelda closed her phone, and put it back into her pocket. She grabbed her jacket off the doorknob, and zippered it onto herself. "Navi, I gotta head over to the boy's dorm room. Link got pushed into the rose garden by Shade and Ganon."

Navi held her hands to her mouth.

"Are you laughing, or gasping?" Zelda asked her.

Then Navi burst into a fit of laughter. "I'm so sorry! I know it's not funny, but I can't help it! This is _so_ going into the paper below the 'New Students at Hyrule Academy' article!"

Zelda rolled her eyes at her. "I think he's been humiliated enough!"

Navi giggled. "Come on, you know you want me to do it!"

"Just don't blame me if he comes after you!" Zelda growled as she pushed past Luna, Ren and Fi, and ran down the hallway towards the exit.


	14. Ow

**SURPRISE! New chapters folks! Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them! **

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 14: . . . Ow.**

"Zelda, watch it!"

"I'm sorry, I'm trying my best!"

Link's hands curled into fists, and he bit down on his lip as Zelda used the tweezers to pull out a thorn from his arm. There were little red dots all over Link's upper body from where Zelda had pulled the rose thorns out, and there were even a few on his legs. Sheik and Tael watched as Zelda brought the tweezers to another thorn, where it had stuck into his belly.

"You would never be able to endure acupuncture," Zelda sighed at her boyfriend as she carefully pulled the thorn out, leaving another bloody red dot in Link's body. Some of the thorns had really wedged in deep.

"Acupuncture at least relaxes the muscles," Link growled back. "This just hurts like hell!"

"You couldn't have gotten Sheik or Tael to do this for you?" Zelda said. "I mean, I don't mind helping you like this, but I hate having to pull these things out of you. I'm probably going to get sick after this."

"Oh, so you can beat people up just fine, but when it comes to pulling thorns out you get freaked out?" Link laughed.

Zelda sighed. "It's the little wounds that freak me out – fingernails getting ripped off, teeth falling out, skin getting cut, sharp things like thorn and glass getting pulled out of the body . . anything like that sets me off." She dropped another thorn into the bowl of thorns that was getting filled more and more with each minute that passed.

"I'm going to kill Shade for this," Link growled angrily. "I can't believe he'd do this to me! This is low, even for him!"

Zelda kissed Link's cheek before continuing with her work. "Well, it can't be helped. I figured Ganon and Shade would get along when I first met the guy."

"This school year is going to absolutely suck now. Not only do I have to worry about my ex-girlfriend coming back to the school, now I gotta worry about the new Bonnie and Clyde!"

"Wasn't Bonnie a girl?" Sheik interrupted.

Link scowled at him. "You know what I mean! Besides, Shade is going to be Bonnie – he's just as pathetic as she was."

"Did you say your ex-girlfriend is back?" Tael said, changing the subject.

Link rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the headache that had appeared in the past five minutes. "Yes, Tael, and I'd rather not talk about it . . . and I swear to hell if you put it in the newspaper, I'll-"

"I won't, I swear!" Tael exclaimed. "I'm not like Navi, alright?"

"Make sure Ciela or your sister doesn't do it either," Link muttered.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure it doesn't end up in tomorrow's newspaper," Tael assured him.

Zelda stopped at the last thorn.

"Zel, what is it?" Link said, wondering why she'd stopped and curious as to whether she was done or not. "Are you finished already?"

"Um, Link . . ." Zelda began, ". . . there's a really big one in your neck."

Sheik jumped up from his chair. "No, don't pull on that one, Zel!" he warned her. "It might have hit a nerve – if you take it out too carelessly, he'll either bleed to death, or it'll knock him out!"

Link began to panic. "W-What are you talking about, 'bleed to death'?" he yelled. "Zelda, I swear to hell if you kill me-"

"Link, calm down!" Zelda said, trying to keep him still. "Don't you dare move!"

"Then drop the tweezers!" Link yelled back. Zelda did as he said; she set the tweezers down next to the bowl of bloody thorns.

"Should we get a nurse?" Tael asked.

"No, they don't do house calls, and we probably shouldn't move Link," Sheik sighed. "Goddess Din, the nurses here suck!"

"What do we do?" Zelda asked. "We can't just leave it in there!"

Sheik and Tael went silent, thinking for a minute, while Link anxiously tapped his fingers against the arms of his chair, morbid thoughts of sudden death playing through his mind.

"Well, we managed to get him here without hurting him," Sheik said. "Maybe if we move him _really_ slow – the same way we did on the way here – we can get him to the nurse."

"Do we have any alternatives?" Link asked. "I think there's a thorn up my ass too, and I've already sat down." He winced a little when he lifted his right leg. He set it back down. "Yep, there's definitely a thorn in there. So if I don't bleed to death from my neck, it'll be from my ass."

Sheik smiled a little, but not too much as to upset Link even more; he didn't need to show Link he was laughing at his pain. Even Zelda couldn't stop herself from making a small smile.

"Well, maybe we can get Luna down here," Zelda suggested. "She has a friend from her hometown who was really good with bandages and first-aid; thankfully, Luna picked up a few of those skills from her. She should be in her dorm room. I'll send her a message." She pulled out her cellphone and began typing in Luna's cellphone number. The phone rang a few times before Luna picked up.

"Luna here," Luna said from the other side of the line.

"Luna, you're still good with bandages, right?" Zelda asked her.

"Um, yeah, but why?"

"Well, we've got a bit of a situation here . . . I've gotten all the thorns out of Link, except for one, and it's gigantic . . . not to mention it's in his neck."

Luna made a painful sound from her end of the line. "That sounds horrible. So you need my help?"

Zelda looked around, and shuffled out into the hallway. Then she whispered into the phone. "I'm going to rip the thing out of him; then I need you to cover over the wound with bandages, as fast as you can. If we don't do it fast enough, he could bleed to death."

"Ohhh, okay," Luna said casually, as if she hadn't heard the 'bleed-to-death' part. "I'll be over there as quick as I can!"

"Thank you, Luna," Zelda said in relief. "See you then. Bring lots of bandages too."

"See ya!"

Zelda hit the 'END' button on her phone, and then put it back into her pocket. When she came back into the room, Link looked rather suspicious.

"Why did you have to go into the hallway to talk to her?" he asked, raising his eyebrow curiously.

"Oh, no reason," Zelda said. "It's just a little less hectic out in the hallway."

Link stared at her, but she didn't tell him the reason why. The last thing Zelda needed was for Link to panic over the fact that she was going to rip that thorn right out of his neck.

Luna was there in less than five minutes. She burst into the room with a spool of bandages.

"Alright, Dr. Luna is here!" she exclaimed happily. She walked over to Link, and began to examine the thorn that was in his neck. "Hmm . . ." she mumbled. She brought her hand up and began to gently prod at his skin. She turned to Zelda.

"He's lucky," she said. "The thorn went in just a few centimeters away from the nerve that would probably knock him out if damaged."

Zelda and Link both sighed in relief.

"But wait, there's still a chance I could bleed to death, isn't there?" Link asked worriedly, his fingers tapping the arms of the chair again.

"Don't worry, we won't let that happen," Luna laughed. "Zelda, are you ready?"

Zelda reached for the tweezers, and brought them up to the thorn in Link's neck.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Link asked, his voice rising in panic.

Luna pulled out a long strand of the bandages from the spool.

"Wait a minute; you're not going to pull it out, are you?"

"Well, we can't just leave it in there," Zelda said with a devious smile.

"Hold up!" Link cried out. But before he could stop them, Zelda had the tweezers on the thorn, and ripped it out violently. Link let out a loud cry, and Luna immediately brought the bandages to his skin to soak up the blood that was beginning to trail out of the wound. She was quick to wrap the bandages around his neck, and in less than a few seconds, there were thick layers of bandages around his neck, pinned in place with a safety pin.

"There!" Luna said triumphantly. "Now, if you don't move it too much, you'll live to see tomorrow!"

Link let out a little wail of pain as he poked at the bandages, the fabric warm in some places from the blood that was still seeping out.

"Tomorrow, if you're still alive, I'll put some disinfectant on it and rewrap it in some new bandages," Luna said. "What about the rest of your wounds?"

All Link could do was let out painful wails as he continued to gently poke at his wound, so Zelda spoke for him, "I think the other ones could be treated too, but they don't need bandages." She pointed towards Tael and Sheik. "Boys, help me get him up."

Link cried out for her to stop. "Don't! You know there's a thorn up my ass too!"

Luna burst into laughter. Link scowled at her in disgust.

"It's not funny, Luna! It hurts like hell!" he yelled at her.

"I'm sorry!" she cried in laughter, her eyes beginning to water. "It's just too funny!"

"Well, at least Zelda didn't laugh."

Zelda let out a stifled giggle. "I'm sorry, Link, but I thought it was kind of funny too."

Link let out a growl. "You guys are mean."

Tael and Sheik stepped forward. Tael took his left side, and Sheik took his right. At the same time, the boys hoisted Link up onto their shoulders. Link let out a brief cry of pain as they got him up off the chair, but the pain was quick and soon subsided after the pressure of the thorn being sat on was relieved.

"Don't touch it!" Link yelled. Zelda and Luna examined the thorn that was sticking out from under his clothes. Thankfully, it was small, like the ones that covered his chest.

"Don't worry, Link, it's a small one," Zelda said comfortingly. "It'll feel like a finger prick."

"I don't know what it's like where you're from, but finger pricks hurt like hell too!" Link argued.

"Oh, you're such a baby," she sighed, rolling her eyes up at him.

Sheik and Tael kept Link held up while Luna and Zelda prepared to take the thorn out from where it was wedged into his clothes.

Link continued to scream at them, telling them to stop. Zelda lowered the tweezers, and secretly handed them to Luna. Her friend passed her the bandages.

"Zelda, I swear, I'll do anything! Don't pull it out!" Link cried.

Zelda stepped forward and kissed his neck, near his wound. Then she kissed his cheek. "Alright, Link, I won't do it; I promise."

"Really?" Link asked in surprise.

"Really," Zelda said, smiling at him so that he could trust her.

"Okay, that's great, because – AAAAHHH!"

He looked back at Luna with an angry expression. She smiled back at him, holding the thorn up with the tweezers for him to see.

"Zelda . . . you promised!" he growled.

"I promised, but Luna didn't," Zelda teased him, winking at him teasingly.

Link let out a groan, and the boys released him, allowing him to stand up on his own. The moment he was on his feet, he walked over to his bed and collapsed on top of it.

". . . Ow."

The next day at school, Link showed up with new layers of bandages secured around his neck. When Luna saw him, she took them off and checked the wound. It had stopped bleeding, but she sprayed on some disinfectant from a can anyways.

Link let out a painful yell. "Hey, that stuff stings!"

"Yes, but it'll make your wound heal faster, and it'll also prevent infection," Luna sighed, stuffing the can back into her schoolbag. "The last thing you need is an infected neck – if you thought taking out the thorn hurt, an infection will probably hurt ten times more."

Link swallowed in fear, and thanked her for her help. She smiled at him as she wrapped his bandages back around his neck.

Link walked with Luna to his table, where Mido, Sheik, Mikau, and Kafei were enjoying bagels spread with cream cheese.

"Hey there, sunshine," Mido snickered. "I heard what happened from Sheik. That's gotta suck."

"You think?" Link growled. "You try getting a thorn shoved into various places at once, including your ass."

Mido bit his lip. "Ugh . . ."

"I thought so," Link snickered as he sat down – very, _very_ carefully – on his spot at the table.

Zelda soon arrived, with a bagel wrapped in a napkin in her hand. "How are you feeling, Link?" she asked as she sat down next to him.

"Better," he sighed. "My neck finally stopped bleeding. Luna put some disinfectant on it for good measure."

Zelda smiled at her friend, where she was sitting next to Mido. "Thanks, Luna. I really appreciate it; so does Link."

Luna smiled back. "It was the least I could do."

"Are you hanging out with us today?"

"Just for the morning. Jake's probably looking for me. You're coming to judo after school, right?"

Zelda nodded in agreement. "You bet."

Mido smiled and made a loud victory chant. "Hiya!" he cheered. "Zel, you really are awesome."

Zelda shook her head. "It's not that great. Judo is just learning how to throw people."

"But it's still awesome! I couldn't throw people even if my life depended on it!"

"That's cause' you're a twig," Mikau snickered under his breath.

"What was that?" Mido yelled at Mikau. "Maybe I should go to judo; then I could learn how to throw you around a little bit."

Mikau shrugged his shoulders, paying no attention as he sank his teeth into his bagel. "You go do that," he said after swallowing the bread and cream cheese.

"You should beat up Shade for me," Link snickered to Zelda. She rolled her eyes at him.

Link started to look around the cafeteria, turning his body in the same direction as his gaze so that he didn't have to move his neck around too much.

"Speaking of Shade, where is the little shithead?" Link asked, trying to spot his black-haired brother.

"I haven't seen him or Ganondorf since I got here," Kafei said.

Link sighed. "That can't be good. I don't need them pushing me into a rose garden again . . . next time they'll probably stick me in a tub of acid or something."

"Don't worry about a thing, Link," Mido assured him. "We've got your back."

"You said that yesterday," Link growled. "And I _still_ managed to get seriously injured."

Mido shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we still got your back."

Link stood up from the table. "Whatever. I gotta get to class."

Zelda stood up as well, grabbing her bag from underneath her seat. The two of them waved goodbye to the group, and then turned around, heading out of the cafeteria and up the stairs to their first class.

When they were halfway down the hall, the two of them ran into Shade.

"Hey there, brother," Shade snickered. He hit his brother over his head with a rolled-up school newspaper. "Heh, heh, bet you spent a lot of time picking those thorns out of your ass, huh? Everybody knows about it now, thanks to Navi and her journalism team."

Link started to grind his teeth together. "You asshole! You nearly killed me, you know!"

Shade patted Link's head, a wide and evil smile on his face. "Well, it's a good thing you had your girlfriend to help you out, huh? You know, to pick the thorns out of your ass." Then he started to laugh again.

Zelda stepped forward. "Shade, piss off, would you? For shit's sakes, you're almost worse than Ganon! Leave your brother alone!"

Shade smirked at her. "Oooh, so your girlfriend is your little protector, huh?" he snickered to Link. Then he looked back at Zelda. "That's so adorable."

Zelda glared at him, her heart beginning to race and her face beginning to heat up.

"Aw, you're just so cute," Shade continued, walking closer to her. "It's nice to see that Link finally has someone to protect him." He reached up to brush one of her bangs out of her face. His hand caressed her cheek. "Even if she's a little girl."

Before Shade could react, Zelda's hand shot up and gripped his wrist, her fingers tightening around it and making Shade cry out in surprise.

"Wow, you've got quite a grip, don't you?" he laughed, but it was clear that he was struggling.

"Call me a little girl again," Zelda hissed, her voice hostile and threatening, "and I won't hesitate to kill you."

Shade laughed at her. "Ooh, she's a fighter, isn't she, Link?"

Link sighed and smiled at his idiotic brother. "No, she's just good at judo." Shade stared at him in confusion, but was soon lifted off the ground and thrown all the way to the other end of the hallway by Zelda, his body skidding against the floor and eventually stopping in front of a few other students' feet. The bystanders watched as Shade laughed to himself, completely unharmed.

"Whoa there!" he yelled from the other end of the hall. "You sure know what you're doing, don't you, little girl?"

Zelda growled angrily to herself, her hands tightening into fists. Link grabbed her shoulder.

"Zelda, that's enough," he said soothingly to her. "Come on, he's not worth it. Let's get to class."

Zelda took a few calming breaths. Her fists uncurled, and her heart began to slow down.

". . . Alright," she said. Link took her hand and guided her down the hallway, towards their classroom. When they sat down, Zelda smiled at Link.

"Thanks for stopping me back there," she said. "I don't like having to do things like that, and sometimes I get a little carried away . . . I can't stand your brother."

"Yeah, neither can I," Link chuckled.

"I just have to make sure I don't kill him," Zelda sighed.

"I'll make sure you won't," Link said confidently.

Zelda smiled. "Thanks."

Link turned forward in his desk just as the teacher walked into the room.

Then a frown crossed his face as he watched Ren walk in right behind her.


	15. Ren

**Well, well, well, looks like I'm doing pretty good with updating chapters, eh? And I've even written out a few chapters in advance that happen later in the story, so I'll be able to type those chapters up and get them submitted faster when the time comes . . . I'm also making a 'certain someone' happy by updating chapters even when I have no internet ;) (you should know who you are XD) Although, there are a few things I have to cover in this opening A/N, so please, bear with me, if you will; I also recommend you at least skim it to see what I'm talking about because it is a little important. **

**First things first, I started a forum a little while back, if I didn't already tell you guys that. I'm not very active right now due to my lack of internet (which explains why I never get these chapters updated quicker, besides the fact that I'm lazy XD), so if you do post something on my forum, it might take a little while for me to reply. If you want the link to my forum, it's on my profile page. **

**Secondly, I got a request from somebody in the reviews if they could rewrite my story as a play or something . . . ? Normally, I would have replied to this, but I couldn't unfortunately due to the fact that the person who posted the review was ANONYMOUS. I'll just have you people know that if you readers want me to reply to your reviews, you HAVE to absolutely make sure you're posting the comment with an account! So for the random person who sent me said request, please, MAKE AN ACCOUNT, and send it to me via private message so I can reply =)**

**Next, as a little fun thing to do, I'm going to start submitting story recommendations every so often with each chapter I post. There are a lot of fanfictions that I've happened to read that are AWESOME in EVERY WAY, and for some reason, they don't have a lot of views :/ It's just a way for me to help out the authors around here that don't get as many views as they probably should be getting.**

**OOOHH, and before I end this A/N, I also want to remind you all that if you WANT to send me an MSN request so we can chat, make sure you send me an email first to my email account telling me who you are! I'll just disregard you as a random spammer person if you don't! And also, I swear to GOD if you people spam me even after telling me you're a reader and want to chat, I will NOT hesitate to hurt you in ways you could never imagine!**

**Alright, on with the story! (Story recommendations can be found below this A/N – information ill include Category/Story Title/Genre/Rating/Author as follows).**

**The Legend of Zelda – The Taste of Peaches – Romance – M – AkiraDawn**

**The Legend of Zelda – The Legend of Zelda: Time Gate – Action/Adventure – T – Uzuki Cheverie**

**The Legend of Zelda – The Legend of Zelda: The Return – Action/Adventure – T – Rose Zemlya**

**The Legend of Zelda – Why You Should Never Travel With Foreigners – Humor – T – LittleBlueNayru**

* * *

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 15: Ren**

_Oh shit._

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit._

Link tried not to stare, but it was hard because she was staring right back at him, and he felt intimidated.

"Everyone, you've probably heard of the new students that have arrived at the Academy," Mrs. Anju began. "This is Ren. I want you all to treat her nicely while she stays here at the Academy."

Ren did a little bow.

"Ren, why don't you go sit behind Clayton?"

_Oh shit. That's right next to me, _Link thought as his heart began to race in pure panic and fear. _Not good. Not good one bit._

Ren nodded at Mrs. Anju, and sat down right behind Clayton; and right across from Link. She looked at Link for a moment, and smiled, like she was a complete stranger to him. Link forced himself to look straight ahead, at Mrs. Anju – he wasn't going to let Ren win that easily.

The class continued on at a gruesomely slow pace. As hard as he tried, Link couldn't seem to stop looking at Ren, and he knew that she was looking at him too. The problem with Ren was that _he _was the one who dumped _her_ – so Ren would probably try anything to win him back, if she still had a hard time getting over him. And chances were that Ren moving to the Academy wouldn't help her get over him any easier.

After more agonizing minutes, class finally ended. Link shot up from his desk and left the room as quick as he could, not even bothering to wait for Zelda. He made it down the hallway, and eventually, Zelda managed to catch up with him herself.

"Hey, slow down, Link!" Zelda called from behind him, trying to keep up with his quick pace.

Link eventually stopped in the lobby, allowing Zelda to catch up with him.

"Geez, you sure are in a rush, aren't you?" she giggled.

"Sorry for running ahead of you so fast," Link sighed. "Ren was driving me crazy."

"That's your ex-girlfriend, right? I saw her yesterday, before I went to your dorm to pull those thorns out of your skin. She was with Fi and Luna."

"She's driving me absolutely insane!" Link growled. "She keeps looking at me! Something tells me she hasn't gotten over my dumping her three years ago!"

"Oh, so _you_ dumped _her_?" Zelda asked. "I was wondering which order it was."

"I dumped her three years ago," Link began. "And I think she thinks she's going to win me back somehow. There is no _way_ I am dating her again."

"Why did you break up with her?" Zelda asked curiously. "If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"She's a snake," Link answered immediately. "She doesn't trust anybody, and barely anybody trusts her. Not to mention I never _once_ felt a connection between us when we were dating."

"She doesn't look that evil," Zelda said.

"Don't be fooled," Link growled. "She's as crazy as they come. She may as well just be going out with Shade."

Zelda laughed. "Anybody would have to be out of their minds to go out with your brother."

"Well, then Ren is perfect for him," Link sighed, bring his hand up to readjust his bandages just a little; they had begun to itch.

Sheik soon joined Link. "How are you feeling, Link?" he asked his friend.

"Bleh, I sting all over," Link sighed. "Especially my ass . . ."

"Yeah, everybody knows about that now, no thanks to Shade," Sheik snickered.

"And I always thought it would be Tatl, Navi, and their group of gossipers to spread it around. They have a new journalist now too, you know."

"Yeah, I've seen her. She's kind of different, but she seems alright. Talks kind of funny though. Must be from some rich family or something."

Link shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't really talked to her yet."

"Navi told me this morning that she's going to be spending her lunch time with us and the rest of our table," Zelda said. "I swear, if any more people come to our table, we're going to need going to need another one real fast . . . even Luna sits with us now."

"And yet we haven't seen heads or tails of her boyfriend," Sheik mumbled. "Seems odd, don't you think?"

Zelda nodded in agreement. "I know, they usually go everywhere together."

"I haven't even _seen_ the guy yet," Link said as he continued to gently rub his neck, trying to ease the itching without having to claw at it.

Kafei ran up from behind them. "Hey, Link, how are you feeling?"

Link groaned. "I've answered this question already! I'm feeling fine, alright? Geez!"

"Well, excuse me for worrying over my best friend," Kafei growled. "It's not like it's _my _fault you got a thorn up your ass."

Link started to rub his forehead, attempting to soothe his growing headache. "I need an aspirin . . ." he groaned, rubbing his temples. "I've got enough problems right now . . . this is no good . . ."

Zelda gently patted Link's shoulder. "Hey, don't stress over it all too much, alright? Just calm down a little and try to sort everything out."

Link took a deep breath, and then exhaled. "Alright then. First, I've got Ren, my ex-girlfriend who's a complete _psychopath_ to deal with. We still haven't gotten your stepdad off our backs. I was just given the world's worst acupuncture treatment . . . I think that sums it up."

"Feel any better?" Zelda asked.

Link took another deep breath. "Yeah, a little, I guess."

"Good."

"Sorry if it sounds like I'm complaining," Link apologized. "I'm not really used to venting my problems out to people."

"I don't mind at all, Link," Zelda said happily. "Besides, I know somebody who's worse than you. Her name's Uzuki*. I was friends with her when I lived in Kakariko; she also just happened to be web-chat buddies with Luna. Her hobbies include drawing, writing, and complaining about all the people that surround her."

"Gee, she sounds pleasant."

"Oh, she's a real bitch. But everybody loves her anyway – she's really good at telling jokes, and if you can get her in a good mood, she's pretty fun too. I hate her, but I love her."

"Hmm . . ." Link pondered to himself. _So she's a living paradox . . . ? _

"She sure likes to express herself," Zelda continued. "One day she wore nothing but shorts and a black bra to school . . . I'm pretty sure the fishnet gloves didn't make her look any saner either."

Sheik stepped in. "Hey, I think I've seen her before!"

"In Kakariko?" Zelda asked curiously.

"Yeah! About five-and-a-half feet, curly brown hair, tan skin, and brown eyes?"

"Uh . . . yeah, I think so."

"I saw her in Kakariko when I was visiting my grandparents. Man, were her clothes revealing or what!"

"What was she wearing?" Zelda and Link both asked anxiously.

"This tight-fitting grey bra that covered her whole chest, kind of like a corset . . . and long black, super-skinny pants with rips in them, and high-heeled boots that went up to her knees."

"That was probably her," Zelda sighed.

"Does she have tattoos? She had a lot on her arms," Sheik asked.

"Hmm, well, she used to draw on her arms a lot, but she may have gotten a tattoo since the last time I saw her," Zelda replied.

Link playfully poked Zelda in the forehead. "You realize that you don't have normal friends, right?"

"So? Neither do you."

* * *

At lunchtime, Link headed to the bathroom first to check his neck and all the other places he had been brutally poked with thorns. His body was covered in light pink dots. When he checked his neck, he had to carefully unravel the bandages so that he wouldn't cause himself any pain. He pulled out the spray that Luna had used on him that same morning, and bit his lip to prevent himself from yelling in pain when he sprayed a small amount of the stuff on his neck. He stuffed the can back into his bag, and proceeded to gently wrap the bandages around his wounded neck again. As painful as it was to use it, Link could tell that the spray was helping his neck – what used to be a deep, bloody-red hole in his neck was now just an itchy scuff, growing over with a scab.

When he left the bathroom, Ren called him over from where she was sitting on the benches in the lobby.

"What do you want?" Link asked.

"A little touchy, aren't we?" Ren asked with a childish giggle. "Oh, it's nothing really. Word around the school is that your brother pushed you into a thick thorn bush."

Link let out a sigh. "Are you going to comment on my ass now too?" he grumbled.

Ren burst into laughter. "Of course not!" she cried in hysterics. "I was just wondering how you're feeling!"

Link shrugged his shoulders; he was becoming anxious to end his tedious conversation with his ex-girlfriend.

"Mm-hmm, I see," Ren said. "Can I ask you a favour, Link-kun?"

Link wanted to roll his eyes, but he figured the last thing he needed was for Ren to go all maniac-psychotic on him, so he simply answered, "What?"

"I just moved in, so I'm kind of behind on what's going on in English class," she said. "Do you mind giving me a hand with it? You guys have already finished a freaking book." She started to laugh again. "If it's not too much trouble for you, that is."

Link was a little surprised. "Uh . . . I'll think about it," he replied. "But I can't guarantee anything. I'm busy with guitar club and stuff."

"No problem," she said with a surprisingly gentle smile. "You're the only one in my class I really know, so it's less awkward to get help from you."

_I'm sure that's what it is,_ Link thought. _My ass_.

Link smiled to himself, and tried hard not to laugh.

_Heh heh, my ass . . . literally. _

_. . . God, I'm a pervert._

Ren raised a curious eyebrow at him. "Um . . . Link?"

Link tried to stop laughing. "Sorry, sorry, it's nothing. I was just . . . remembering a joke that Sheik told me earlier," he lied. _Please, God, don't ask me to repeat the joke that doesn't exist . . ._

"Well, take your time to think about it, okay?" Ren said. "I'd really appreciate the help."

"Hmm, we'll see," Link growled.

"Thanks for at least considering it. We'll see you around, alright?"

". . . Sure." Then he hurriedly turned around and left the lobby, straight towards the cafeteria.

_Well, that was uncomfortable_, Link thought.

Zelda was already at the table with the rest of the guys when Link arrived.

"Gee, took you long enough," Mido sighed.

"I was busy checking my bandages," Link replied, pointing to his wound. "I guess it's feeling a little bit better."

"Did Luna's spray stuff help any?" Zelda asked.

"Well, once I get over the stinging and after-pain, it really does help my wound heal faster," Link answered.

"That's good."

The table soon filled with the rest of the guys, all of them with trays loaded with food.

"Hey, Link, I noticed you were talking to Ren in the lobby," Kafei brought up. "What did she want?"

Zelda stared at Link for a moment, curiosity growing in her eyes.

"Oh, she was just wondering if I could help her with English, because she just moved in during the middle of the semester and she has no clue what we're doing," Link explained.

"Are you going to do it?"

"Pfft, probably not," Link snickered. "But you never know. Maybe if she paid me up front . . . with _cash_ this time, I would be willing to do it."

Mikau burst into laughter. "Oh God, did she ever pay you with something that _wasn't_ cash?" He made a suggestive wink.

Link rolled his eyes. "Ha-ha-ha," he pretended to laugh. Then he turned away in embarrassment. "I don't want to talk about it right now . . ."

"Ooohhh!" Kafei laughed. "This story's gonna be good!"

"I'm not saying a darn thing!" Link objected. "It seems that every time something happens to me, _everybody_ has to know about it! It's only been a day and everybody knows about the thorn bush incident . . . and everybody only seems to enjoy the part where I got a thorn up my ass!"

"Face the facts, Link, you're like this school's Zac Efron," Sheik started to explain. "Talented, friendly, and cute."

The boys all stared at Sheik.

"What?" Mido snickered. "Did you just say Link is talented, friendly, and _cute_? That coming out of _your_ mouth?"

Sheik's expression went grim. "Oh, come on, get your damn minds out of the gutters!" he exclaimed. I meant to the

The boys all started to laugh, except for Link. Link merely proceeded to hit his head against the table.

"Dumbasses . . ." he hissed. "Haven't I been degraded enough?"

* * *

**While you were reading, you probably happened to notice the little asterisk (*) I put next to Uzuki's name. Well, there's a good reason for that. You see, I borrowed the name from one of the fanfictions that I recommended above, "The Legend of Zelda: Time Gate". The author actually based one of her main characters off herself, with the same name, "Uzuki". Uzuki in Time Gate is one of my favorite characters due to her unique personality and random insanity, so I asked Uzuki Cheverie, the author of Time Gate, if I could place Uzuki in my story as well. She said it was alright, as long as I didn't turn OCL into an actual novel and steal her character (you see, Uzuki is also obsessed with turning Time Gate into something real, but I'm not saying anything against it – I admire her passion for LoZ video games and fanfiction writing). So if you guys like Uzuki, please, credit the ORIGINAL Uzuki Cheverie, not me XD **


	16. Rumours

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 16: Rumours**

"He _what?"_

"I saw him being _extremely _friendly with Ren."

Zelda sat wearily on her bed. "But he told me . . . he told me he was glad they were through! That she was a psychopath and he dumped her because she was a lying snake!"

Ruto sat down next to the worried Zelda, putting a comforting arm around her.

"Zel, it's okay . . . everything will work out. I'm sure of it."

Zelda shakily nodded." Yes . . . yes, you're right. I'm sure Link doesn't care for Ren anymore . . . this is all just a big misunderstanding."

Ruto smiled, and jumped up confidently from the bed. "Exactly." She picked up Zelda's school bag from the floor, and tossed it onto Zelda's empty lap. "Come on, lunch is almost over. Let's head back so we can get ready for our next class."

* * *

Zelda felt horrible the entire afternoon. She trusted Link, but she couldn't seem to silence the nagging voice that was chewing at the back of her brain. So when she met up with Link that night for their date, she felt al little uncomfortable.

Link walked Zelda through town, holding her hand gently in his. The night was cool with December air, and there were walls of snow piled high on the sides of the road from the snowplough.

Their dinner at a local restaurant passed by like any other. Link and Zelda discussed their school life, and points about their family, and how both their days went – the same topics they talked about every weekend when they spent time together.

And even though she was enjoying the evening, it was hard for Zelda to hide her doubt. She didn't want to believe that Link was getting friendly with his ex-girlfriend, but the nagging voice wouldn't stop.

During the walk back, Zelda tried to decide what to say. She wanted to ask him if Ruto's words were really true, but she didn't know how to ask.

Without her anticipating it, Link spoke up first.

"Zelda, is everything alright?" he asked worriedly, stopping her and sitting the two of them down on the town fountain's edge.

"Um . . . yeah, everything's fine," Zelda lied.

He glared at her; the sudden angry look from him gave Zelda chills.

"That's bull, Zel," he growled. "You really don't' know me all that well, do you? You should know how easy it is for me to read people; especially you."

Zelda looked down to her feet in shame and embarrassment. "I-I know . . . you're right, I'm sorry."

Link shook his head at her. "What's on your mind, Zelda? You've been acting depressed since school ended. Is everything alright? Is your step-dad bugging you again?"

Zelda bit her lip slightly. She gently took Link's hand, and looked up at him with eyes of worry and sorrow.

"Link . . . it's . . . it's about Ren," Zelda began, her voice shaking in fear.

"Oh . . .oh, geez." Link rubbed his forehead, and let out a sigh. "I figured this would happen."

Zelda stared at him in shock. "I . . . yes, I'm sorry. I'm just a little . . . worried."

Link pulled Zelda into a hug. "I'm the one who should be sorry, Zelda. I'm sorry for making you so worried . . . I promise you, there is nothing left between me and Ren. Nothing at _all_."

Zelda smiled at him. She could feel the weight lifting from her stomach, and her heart. "Okay . . . I trust you, Link."

Link smiled back. "Good. I'll be sure not to break that trust." Then he softly kissed her. "I promise you'll always be mine," he whispered softly in her ear. "I love you."

Zelda kissed him back. "I love you too."

* * *

Another pea landed in Link's soup bowl.

"Could you quit that, Mido? It's annoying, and I don't think peas belong in tomato soup," Link growled.

Mido lowered the catapult that was his spoon and set it on top of his plate, next to the rest of his chicken dinner. "Sorry, but I'm bored. Sheik is spending his lunch with Malon, and Kafei is studying for his Biology test in the library. I've got nothing to do."

"What about Mikau?" Link asked. He gestured towards Mikau, who was sitting right next to Mido.

Mikau closed his binder and got up from the table. "Guitar club," he mumbled before leaving the two boys behind.

"Guitar club," Mido repeated sadly.

Link checked his watch. "Well, we've only got about twenty minutes left. I'm sure you'll live. I actually have to-"

The school P.A. turned on, and Mikau's voice boomed through the cafeteria.

"Just a quick notice, we're missing a band mate from the guitar club. If you know or have seen a nerdy, blond, video game nerd whose name begins with an "L", please contact the guitar club immediately."

"What the-? What are you doing in here?" another voice could be heard through the P.A. "Get away from that microphone!"

The P.A. shut off.

Link could hear the girls from Zelda's table laughing. He rolled his eyes and got up from the table.

"What a dumbass . . ." Link mumbled. "Sorry, Mido. I gotta head out to guitar club before the entire school starts to hunt me down." Then he grabbed his school bag and left the cafeteria, leaving Mido behind at the table.

When Link was go ne, a few minutes passed before Mido let out a bored sigh.

"Well, this stinks," he muttered. When he looked to Zelda's table, he noticed that the girls were watching him.

"Hey, Mido!" Saria called. "Why don't you come on over here?"

Mido hesitated, but eventually got up from the table and walked over to the girls. There were more girls than usual at the table; a lot of new faces to Mido.

"Uh, hey," Mido greeted them.

"You looked kind of lonely over there," Saria laughed. She patted the spot on the bench next to her. "Come on, sit down."

Mido sat down next to Saria.

"So, they all left you behind, huh?" Alexis giggled. "Malon's gone too. She's with that Sheik kid."

"Sheik and Malon seem like an okay couple," Ruto mumbled. "Link's been friends with him for years. They're pretty close."

"Well, you can always hang with us when they leave you behind," Saria said. "You're more than welcome to sit at our table."

"Um . . . thanks," Mido replied.

The P.A. system turned back on. Mido and the girls listened intently to Mikau's voice as it played through the school again.

"Could the _girlfriend_ of the nerdy, blond, video game nerd whose name begins with an "L" also come to the guitar club? Thank you."

"I thought I told you to get out!"

Zelda finished the rest of her lunch, and then got up from the table.

"I guess I'll see you around," she said. All the girls and Mido waved goodbye; then she left the cafeteria and headed down the hall towards the club room.

As she was walking down the hall, Zelda happened to notice Ren sitting on a bench outside of a classroom with two other boys. She tried to walk bt without being noticed, but Ren stopped her as she was walking by the bench.

"Hey. You're Zelda, right?" Ren asked her.

"Uh . . . y-yes," Zelda replied nervously.

"Mm-hmm, I thought so – you're Link's new sweetie. What a surprise."

Zelda scowled at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The two boys sitting with Ren started to chuckle. Zelda made a point to ignore them.

"It means that you're going to have a fun time," Ren snickered. "That boy can sure be picky. Pretty wimpy too. What a little girl."

"Excuse me?" Zelda growled. "I can assure you that Link is nothing like that!"

"Are you kidding? I already dated him; don't you think I should know all his faults?"

"Of course he has faults," Zelda said. "But I know that I do too . . . and I don't' need you insulting me!"

Ren smiled; it was disturbing, and sent chills through Zelda's body. "Oh, that's not what I meant at all . . . I'm just giving you a heads-up, that's all. Don't be expecting too much from him, okay? The poor boy is just clueless when it comes to dating." She stood up from the bench, and gave Zelda another disturbing smile before leaving with the boys.

Zelda watched Ren strut down the hall. Then she shook her head to herself in defeat.

_Get over it_, she thought. _Just forget about her. _

Link, Mikau, and the rest of the guitar club were just playing the end of a song when Zelda walked into the room.

"Finally!" Mikau sighed.

"Oh, stop getting your pants in a twist, bro," Japas said as he strummed his b ass guitar. "We'll be ready for our next gig – so don't worry about it."

"Why do you need me?" Zelda asked curiously.

"We've got a bit of a concert coming up," Link began to explain. "We have to play for the Christmas dance next week, and we're not very close to being ready. Not to mention, we need a singer-"

"Because _somebody _is _still_ refusing to do it," Mikau hissed angrily.

Link glared at him. "Hey Mikau, did anybody ever tell you you're a bit of an asshole when faced with a deadline?"

Mikau glared back at Link. "No."

"Well, I just did," Link growled. "So shut up for a few minutes, yeah?"

He turned back to Zelda. "Anyway, we need a singer, and we were wondering if you would do it."

Zelda bit her lip in doubt. "I don't know . . ." she said worriedly. "I don't know if I'm really comfortable with singing in front of a large crowd . . ."

Japas chuckled lightly, brushing his white-blue bangs out from in front of his face. "This coming from the girl who stood up to and _defeated_ Ganon?"

"Hmm, you guys sure like to remind me of that, don't you?" Zelda grumbled.

"Eh, sorry," Japas apologized. "Things like that don't happen a lot around here, so we tend to get a little . . . overexcited."

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine," she sighed tiredly. "But I still don't know about this . . . I mean, I never liked getting up in front of a crowd. It makes me nervous. And besides, I don't know many songs that I'm sure you guys would want to do."

"I'm sure you can think of something, Zel," Link said. "We only need to play one song. That's about three minutes you have to be on stage."

Zelda let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright, alright, fine," she gave in.

Mikau let out a cheer. "Thank God . . . maybe now we can be ready by the time the concert comes around."

"When is the concert anyway?" Zelda asked.

"Next week," Japas replied.

Zelda's jaw dropped. "Next _week_? And you haven't even picked out a song yet! How do you expect to be ready by next week?"

"Easy," Japas began to explain. "We pick an easy song that isn't hard to learn, but will still excite the crowd and provide decent entertainment."

"Great, we may as well just spin around in circles and sing 'Numa Numa' then," Zelda said.

Link perked up at her words. ". . . Can we?"

"I was being sarcastic, Link," Zelda muttered.

"Aw . . . I love that song. Not to mention, it's easy to learn, and has a great tune that people will love."

"You just want to spin around in circles on the stage like an idiot," Mikau growled.

"Duh!" Link laughed out loud.

"Why don't we focus on just choosing a song for today, instead of practicing?" Japas suggested.

"How about 'The Kill'?" Zelda spoke up first.

"Hmm, maybe," Mikau said. He wrote the name of the song down on the whiteboard.

"'TNT'?" Link said.

Japas began to laugh. "If we were trying to blow up the school, then maybe."

"'Big Wheels' would be fun to do," Mikau said, writing the song on the board.

"Oh, and don't forget 'Far From Home'!" Zelda exclaimed. "That's an amazing song!"

"Hrm, what's the name of that really good song I heard a long time ago . . ." Mikau pondered to himself. He snapped his fingers when he realized it. "'The Chain'! That's it." He wrote down the song suggestions on the board.

"How about Ra-Ra-Rasputin?" Link said.

Mikau stopped. "Link, are you suggesting all the dumb songs or are you just trying to get on my nerves?"

"That song is fun!" Link argued.

" . . . No."

Link crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair.

"'Marry the Night'?" Zelda continued.

"Oh yeah, I remember that one," Mikau said as he wrote it down on the board. "That's a newer one, but it's pretty interesting."

Link jumped up from his chair. "Oooh, oooh, I got a great one!" he yelled. "Come on, I'm going to piss my pants if you don't let me say this one!"

Mikau groaned. "What is it, Link?"

Link clapped his hands together. "'Sexy and I-'"

"We're not doing 'Sexy and I Know It'," Mikau cut in.

"Aww, come on, at least put it up as a suggestion! That's an awesome party song!" Link said.

"Yes, it is, but it's . . . 'disturbing' traits will probably get us kicked out of the guitar club."

Link hung his head down low, and let out another sigh of defeat. "Fine, we won't play 'Sexy and I Know It'," he whined as he sat back down in his chair, completely depressed.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but . . . what about 'Lollipop'?" Japas said.

"Good Lord, no!" Zelda exclaimed. "Uzuki listens to that song all the time, and when she does, she goes into this mental state where she destroys everything in her path! It's a song for the critically insane!"

_It's just really cheery, that's all . . . _Japas thought. _But then again, I can see why she'd beg to differ over it . . . it does seem a little bit overly-cheery sometimes . . ._

Ten minutes before lunch was over, the guitar club had a steady list of various songs on the board. Each one was different – some were old, others new, some were rock, and others were pop or alternative.

_The Kill – 30 Seconds to Mars  
Big Wheels – Down With Webster  
The Chain – Fleetwood Mac  
Marry the Night – Lady Gaga  
Brand New Day – Sting  
Black Hole Sun – Soundgarden  
Ievan Polkka – Loituma  
A Year Without Rain – Selena Gomez  
15 Step – Radiohead  
The One that Got Away – Katy Perry_

"Hmm . . . it's a tough choice," Zelda said. "I like all of the songs up there . . . but there are only three songs that I could really sing, considering I'm a girl."

"Spare us 'Black Hole Sun' please," Japas said. "I never really liked that song. It's also a little depressing for a winter dance."

"Is everybody okay with taking that off the list?" Mikau asked the band. They all nodded. Mikau proceeded to erase 'Black Hole Sun' off the whiteboard.

"I don't think I'd really like to do 'A Year without Rain'," Zelda said. Mikau erased the song from the board.

"Nobody will understand 'Ievan Polkka'," Link muttered. "I don't think the school will be able to handle Loituma just yet."

It was erased off the board.

The band members continued to erase the worst songs off the list. There was little debate whenever a song was decided to be taken off, and by the end of it, there were only two songs left.

"So it all comes down between 'Brand New Day' and 'The Chain'," Mikau said.

"I can't believe we took 'Marry the Night' off . . ." Zelda sighed. "I love the dance routine from that . . ."

"Guitar club, Zel, not Glee club," Link laughed.

The door to the music room opened, and Ren stepped in.

"Hey, why not do 'Decode' by Paramore?" she suggested.

Link glared at her. "Ren, how long have you been listening?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, long enough," she said.

_Cliché dumbass,_ Link thought in annoyance.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Mikau said. "It's got a catchy guitar riff at the beginning, and it's perfect for Zelda to sing."

Link stared back at Mikau. "Seriously?" Then he sighed, and turned towards Zelda. "Zel? Are you alright with that?"

Zelda hesitated, but eventually nodded. "I already know that song, so if it saves us a little work, then . . . alright, fine."

"Aww, I made a contribution to the guitar club!" Ren cheered.

Link grabbed a pencil out of the little dish on the teacher's desk. "Congratulations," he muttered. "Here's our little gift for donating _so much_ to our cause." He tucked the pencil behind her ear.

"Ah, you're too kind," Ren laughed.

A grim thought suddenly crossed Zelda's mind.

_Uzuki would have just jammed that pencil right through that idiot's walnut-sized brain_.

* * *

**ROFL for you Fleetwood Mac fans out there, you may or may not have noticed the play on words with the chapter title. If you didn't get the joke, then . . . well, I'm explaining it right now, SO PAY ATTENTION! XD **

"**The Chain", written by Fleetwood Mac, was first featured on their album, "Rumours", a CD that was based around the scandals that occurred between Lindsey Buckingham (one of FM's guitarists) and Christine McVie (one of FM's vocalists) at the time of its creation. So when I named this chapter "Rumours", I'm referencing to both the rumours that are spreading around about Link/Ren (a lot like the rumours about Lindsey and Christine) and the album name of Fleetwood Mac. **

**An interesting tidbit about Fleetwood Mac – The famous singer, Stevie Nicks, was actually originally a singer for Fleetwood Mac, and left the band in the 70's/80's to make her own singles, and returned to the band in the 80's/90's to resume her career as a singer for FM; also, the guitarist Eric Clapton, founder of the famous band, "Cream", was actually a guitarist for Fleetwood Mac at one point before leaving the band, back when FM was just starting out in the 60's. **

**P.S. I strongly suggest you go to Youtube/Grooveshark, or any other music site and listen to "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac as soon as possible if you haven't already. It is one of my most favorite songs of all time. In fact, go and listen to ALL the songs that Mikau, Link, Japas, and Zelda talked about during guitar club; they're all awesome songs. Twilight fans will recognize "15 Step" and people who love party music like LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" will definitely LOVE "Big Wheels" by Down with Webster.**


	17. Band Practice and Iambic Pentameter

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 17: Band Practice and Iambic Pentameter**

Link, Japas, and Mikau strummed together on their guitars, the three of them trying to get the notes right for the song they chose for the dance. Two days had passed since Ren had suggested "Decode", and Link and the rest of the guitarists had to learn the entire song. Zelda walked around the music room with her iPod in her ears, listening to the song and trying her best to hit the pitches right as she quietly sang it to herself.

"I guess this song isn't too bad," Link sighed. "It's just the beginning melody that's a little tricky to get down . . ."

"Although it is a little refreshing sometimes to have a challenge," Japas said.

"That's easy for you to say," Mikau sneered. "You're playing the bass. Tijo has it pretty easy too."

"Hey, there are a couple parts in the chorus that are a bit trickier," Japas argued. "Especially considering I have to be heard above you two."

"Do you know how hard it is to play the frigging drums?" Tijo cut in. "Give it a try, buddy; it ain't like baking cookies!"

Mikau looked away from Japas. "Zelda," he called, over to where Zelda was standing near the percussion instruments, singing the song to herself. Zelda pulled the headphones out of her ears.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Do you really think we'll be ready by next week?" he asked in doubt.

Zelda smiled at him. "I know we'll be ready. Just think about it, the guitar chords are always the same; once you get the first part down, the rest will be easy."

Mikau sighed, and started to play the beginning melody to "Decode" again. He played it slowly first, and then tried speeding up to the regular speed of the song.

Zelda began to laugh. "Think about it this way, Mikau – at least you don't have to sing and play the guitar at the same time."

"Which is hard as hell . . ." Link growled.

"AH-HA!" Mikau exclaimed, pointing at Link with a wild grin and determination in his eyes. "So you _do _sing! I knew it all along!"

"_Once_," Link objected. "And that's only when I tried to see how hard it would be to sing and play at the same time. Ass."

The bell rang.

"Looks like lunch is over," Mikau sighed. "Alright, we'll pick this up again on Friday. Until then, practice on your own time after school. The winter dance is on Thursday next week, right before school ends for break. I'll try to book this room sometime so we can stay after to work on the song, in case we're not ready by next Thursday."

The group nodded.

Mikau stuffed his guitar into his guitar case. "Alright, see you guys later. Keep practicing so that we can do this thing right."

Everybody in the group saluted.

"Yes sir!"

* * *

When final class ended, Link received a phone call from Ren. He hesitated for a minute, but eventually answered it.

"Uh, hello?" he asked.

"Hey Link," Ren greeted. "It's me, Ren."

" . . . How did you get my number?" he asked suspiciously.

"Duh, it's the same number you've had for years," she snickered.

_Ah, right. She still has my phone number on her phone from when we were dating. She would never delete it either._

"Why are you calling me?" Link asked.

"I was wondering if you were free to help me out with English homework," she said. "I don't get any of this poetry stuff. I mean, what the hell is iambic pentameter?"

Link sighed, and rubbed his forehead. "I don't know, Ren . . ."

"Come on, please? I would really appreciate it if you helped me."

Link stared up at the sky, and finally gave in. "Fine," he hissed into the phone. "But I swear to hell, Ren, if you do anything that's the slightest bit weird or uncomfortable to me in any way, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Aw, you haven't changed," she giggled. "Alright, meet me in my dorm room. I'm sharing a room with Fi – so you know I won't do anything weird, alright?"

"Fine," Link hissed again. "What's your room number?"

"We're in room three-o-five," she replied.

"Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks again, Link!"

"Whatever."

Link shut his phone, and turned around, heading in the direction of the campus where the girls' dorms were located.

"'I was wondering if you could help me with English', she says," Link grumbled to himself as he walked towards the building where the rooms where. "'I don't get any of this poetry stuff', she says." Link didn't pay attention to the weird looks people were giving him for talking to himself. "Who the hell doesn't understand iambic pentameter?" he exclaimed to himself. "I mean, it simply means that there are ten syllables in a stanza, and it's only really used for sonnets, which are composed of fourteen lines, with an a-b-a-b-c-d-c-d-e-f-e-f rhyming scheme, and a rhyming g-g couplet at the end! I mean, who couldn't understand that? It's not freaking rocket science!"

When Link made it to the dorm, he headed upstairs, and walked down the hallways until he made it to Room 305. He knocked on the door three times. Fi answered it.

"Greetings, Mr. Link," she said. "I understand you're here to provide English assistance to my colleague, Ren."

Link was a little disturbed by Fi's formal way of speaking. "Uh . . . yeah."

Fi gestured for him to enter. "Please, make yourself at home. I hope you find our dorm room comfortable."

"Uh . . . pleased to meet you too," Link muttered as he walked into the room. It was decorated very differently, with lots of glossy and magical things set up in the room. Blue glass vases with multi-colored flowers sat around the room, and the room was very neat and tidy. Ren sat in the center of the room on the rug, with a bunch of binders and papers around here.

Fi walked very gracefully past Ren to her own bed.

"Hey Link," Ren said. "Just find a seat anywhere."

Link ended up sitting down on the floor too, a safe distance away from her.

"Alright, so it's poetry you need help with, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, pretty much," Ren replied. "I just don't understand it at all."

"I guess it can't be helped," Link sighed. "I did have a bit of trouble with it too when I started out. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it though."

"Hmm, then it seems I've gotten a good teacher, huh?" she giggled.

_Whatever_, Link thought in annoyance.

"Alright, so can you first explain to me what all this iambic stuff is?" Ren asked.

So he did. Link spent a half-hour explaining to Ren the different types of meters and how they affected poetry, and how iambic pentameter fit into sonnets and other poetry. By the time he was through with it, he realized that he was having fun.

"Don't even get me started on the Italian sonnets!" Link laughed. "Shakespeare mocks them a lot in some of his English sonnets."

"Really? That's kind of funny," Ren agreed. "What's the difference with English and Italian sonnets?"

"Different rhyme scheme," he answered. "And I think they use a different structure when it comes to the pentameter . . . I'm not sure. I never bothered to study it much; I always just paid close attention to the English sonnets, the ones that Shakespeare uses."

"Okay," Ren said. "I think I get it now. You'll have to help me though when we actually have to write the sonnets out."

"As long as you don't go stealing my ideas," Link snickered.

"I don't think that's going to happen," Ren laughed back.

Fi eventually got up from the bed with her laptop. "Ren, I must be leaving. Navi and Ciela have ordered an immediate meeting in the library concerning next week's headlines. I will be back afterwards."

"Alright, see you later, Fi," Ren said.

"Goodbye." Then she gracefully walked out the door.

Ren rolled her eyes and let out a sigh of defeat when she was gone. "Gah, and I thought she would never leave!" she breathed in exhaustion.

"I gotta admit, she does seem a little boring," Link agreed. "Does she always talk like that?"

"Yes, she does! It's so annoying! I mean, she's a good person, but she has no personality at all! It's like she's some kind of robot!"

Link burst into laughter. "Let's face it, Ren, none of the people on the journalism team are normal. They're all like working robots, programmed to do nothing but find tomorrow's big new story."

"You know they did put in an article about that thorn bush incident, right?" Ren said.

"I figured," Link groaned.

Ren got up from the floor, and proceeded to grab a copy of last week's newspaper from underneath Fi's bed. She opened it up to the third page, and held it out for Link to see. It was a small article, at least, and was less than a half page long.

_Fellow Student Has Unfortunate Accident in Rose Garden_

_Well-known student Link Kokiri recently experienced an incident upon which he fell into the Academy's rose garden and suffered from painful injuries. It has been claimed by fellow classmates that he is indeed okay, although is still healing from scars all over his body from the thorns. Updates on this story are up in the air at this point. We all hope that Link soon recovers from his thorn bush injuries, and we cross our fingers that something like this doesn't happen again._

"I didn't fall into the rose garden, I was _pushed_!" Link exclaimed angrily. "This is a load of bullcrap!"

"Well, at least they didn't say anything about your ass," Ren snickered.

"No, but I have Shade to thank for that," Link growled. "The douchebag went around and told everybody the extra bits to the story that weren't covered in the newspaper . . . including the part about my ass!" Link tossed the newspaper away.

"So, how are you feeling now?" Ren asked. "You're still wearing the bandages on your neck, huh?"

Link rubbed the spot on his neck where the bandages were covering the wound. "Yeah, but Luna had some spray to fix it up quicker. It stings a lot, but it gets the job done, at least."

"That's all that matters, really. I hope you feel better soon."

Link's phone began to ring. It was Zelda.

"Hey," Link said into the phone.

"Hey, Link," Zelda replied. "I'm just wondering . . . is Mr. Evans going to help us out at all with this?"

"Maybe. He tends to drop in every now and then to check up on us," Link answered.

"Are you free to practice with me right now?"

"Um . . . well, I'm a little busy right now. Do you think I could get back to you on that?"

"Oh, okay. That's no problem."

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

"Love you, Zel," he said.

"You too," Zelda said cheerfully.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Then he hung up.

"Oh, that was Zelda?" Ren asked, digging through her English notes again.

"Yeah," Link said. "She was just wondering if Mr. Evans was going to help us out with our concert. He's kind of more a supervisor than a teacher when it comes to the guitar club."

"So what song are you guys going to be playing?" Ren asked curiously.

"The one you suggested . . . 'Decode', by Paramore."

"Oh, well, that's good. It's a pretty good song, and I know Zelda will do a good job singing it. But do you have a back-up song planned?"

"Back-up song?"

"You know, in case you can't play 'Decode' for some reason," Ren muttered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Hmm, I'm not sure . . . I should go over that with the guys tomorrow during guitar club. We're doing it after school tomorrow so we can get more time in. It's just a little more convenient than lunch."

"Do you mind if I come to watch?"

"Huh? Well, sure, but it might be a little boring."

"I don't mind. I'd like to see you guys perform the song; I'm not going to the winter dance, after all."

"You're not? I figured you would be."

"Nah, I don't have a date."

Link suddenly started to feel a little awkward. The moment she said she didn't have a date, he started to think back to the days when they were dating. They really weren't all that bad . . . at first. It took Link a little while to realize how psychotic the girl really was, and when he did, he realized she wasn't the right person for him.

Link got up from the floor. The awkward feeling in his gut was making him uncomfortable, and he had the sudden urge to leave before he started to feel worse.

"Well, I should be getting back before Sheik starts panicking," Link sighed, stretching out from sitting on the floor so long. "I hope I was a little bit of help."

"Thanks a lot, Link," Ren said with a smile. She stood up from the floor too. Then she pulled him into a gentle hug. "It means a lot to me."

"Uh-huh," Link muttered, feeling more uncomfortable each second. When Ren finally let him go, he waved goodbye, and left the room. When he was in the hallway, he dialled Zelda's number.

"Hello?" she said.

"Zel, I just realized something – we should probably choose a back-up song, in case we can't play 'Decode'," Link explained. "You know, just in case."

"Hmm, that seems like a good idea," Zelda replied. "What should we play?"

"I'll bring it up with the rest of the band tomorrow after school. You start listing songs that might be good for us to play in case we have to ditch 'Decode'."

"You got it," Zelda giggled. "We'll see you tomorrow, alright, Link?"

"Yep. See you then. Bye."

"Bye."

Link hung up his phone a second time and shoved it into his pocket.

_A second song . . ._ _hmm . . ._


	18. Misunderstandings?

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 18: Misunderstandings . . . ?**

Zelda never bothered to ask Link what he was doing at Ren's the other day. She continued to remain silent through English class, even when she and Link were paired to do group work. She wanted to ask him, but she didn't know how, and she didn't' want to jump to any conclusions either.

It was Thursday, so there was no guitar club. Link offered to buy Zelda lunch, so the two headed down street to a nearby café that served pizza, salads, and smoothies. It was a hotspot for all the Academy students, especially on Fridays.

Link bought their food, and the two sat down at one of the little tables.

"I love the pizza here," Link said, trying to start up a conversation. He could tell Zelda was uneasy.

Eventually, he just came out and said what was on his mind.

"You're still upset about Ren, aren't you?" Link asked.

Zelda glared at him. "I have my reasons," she muttered.

"I understand that, but you have to realize, I'm not happy about it either; it's just something we're going to have to get used to."

"Well, it seems you've done a good job of getting used to her."

Link scowled at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know _exactly_ what it means, Link," Zelda hissed. "I know you've been spending time with Ren, _alone_. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

Link raised a curious eyebrow at her. "Are you talking about yesterday? Zelda, that was –"

His ringing phone interrupted him. He took it out of his pocket.

"It's her, isn't it?" Zelda asked. "Why does she have your number?"

"She never bothered to delete it after we broke up," Link replied.

"Just answer it," Zelda sighed. "I'm too tired to care . . ."

Link answered it, and turned the volume up to speaker so that Zelda could hear the conversation.

"Hey," Link began.

"Hey Link," Ren replied. "Thank you so much for helping me with English."

"It was no problem at all," Link said, staring intently at Zelda. "I'm glad I could help."

"Well, you were a great teacher, Link. Thanks again."

"Talk to you later, Ren."

"You too."

The phone went silent.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Link muttered. "I was at Ren's yesterday because she needed help with her English."

Zelda bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I'm just . . . nervous."

Link took Zelda's hands in his. "You seem to have trouble trusting me, don't you?"

"I don't mean to, I just . . . Link, I always trusted my other boyfriends too much; eventually, they would stab me in the back, and I would leave them. It's nothing personal when I find it hard trusting you . . . I just seem to have bad luck when it comes to giving my full trust to people."

Link rubbed her hands with his thumbs. "I don't blame you at lal for that, but .. . try to have a bit more faith in me, alright? I was the one that fell in love with you, remember. There's no reason for me to lie to you."

Zelda smiled. "You're right," she said happily. "I do trust you, Link."

"Thank you," Link replied. "Finish up your pizza; the guys at the other table who were forced to eat salads by their girlfriends are starting to get antsy."

Zelda shuddered. "You know, it's a little creepy how you can read people so easily. How do you do it?"

Links shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, I just heard one of the girls at their table yell . . ." He changed his voice, trying to sound girly, "'You eat that salad, you useless fatass!'"

Zelda burst into laughter.

Link tapped his ear. "It's all about listening, sweetie."

* * *

Because there was snow outside, Link had to spend his gym class inside. And because coach Darunia was travelling to a basketball tournament with the Men's AA team, his brother, coach Darmani, stepped in.

"Huh, I never knew Coach had a brother," pondered one of Link's classmates.

"Neither did I," Link replied. "I still can't believe Shade's in Gym with me. Now that I'm in a class with Ganon _and_ Shade, I think Gym would be more worth my while if I just took a ninety-minute shower to cry to myself. At least nobody would see my tears."

"You could fake sick," his classmate suggested.

"I dunno," Link said as he began to stretch his arms out. "Last time I faked being sick, Darunia saw right through my act and sent me to the hospital as some kind of sick joke. It was embarrassing to explain to the nurses that I wasn't really sick."

"Oh yeah, I think I remember that," the classmate agreed. "That was back in seventh grade, right?"

"Uh-huh."

Darmani marched into the gymnasium, his whistle tucked between his lips and his clipboard squeezed underneath his muscular arm.

"Whoa, that guy is _ripped_!" Kafei exclaimed in horror and amazement after running over to Link. "Look at the _scars_ on him!"

Darmani blew on his whistle. Link, Kafei, and every other gym student plugged their ears from the shrill, god-awful sound.

"ATTENTION, STUDENTS!" he roared. His voice was just as loud as his whistle. "I AM YOUR GYM TEACHER FOR THE NEXT FIVE DAYS! DURING THESE FIVE DAYS, I WILL _NOT_ TOLERATE _ANY_ ROUGHHOUSING OR ACTS OF IMMATURITY FROM ANY OF YOU! AND IF_ ANY _OF YOU FILTHY MAGGOTS DECIDE TO GET ON MY BAD SIDE, I CAN ASSURE YOU, THE PUNISHMENT _WILL_ BE SEVERE!"

_Sweet Lord,_ Link began to panic.

Darmani blew his whistle again. "Now give me twenty!"

All the students dropped to the floor like flies, and frantically began to do their twenty push-ups. They finished in mere seconds.

"Now give me twenty more!"

They started doing more push-ups.

Suddenly, from out of the crowd of sweaty students, a paper airplane emerged. It flew towards Darmani, and landed gently at his feet. He snatched it up from the ground, and unfolded it. A smiley face was drawn in the centre, with two '$20' signs drawn on either side of it.

"WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?" Darmani screamed.

Shade jumped up from the floor. "It was Link, Coach! I saw him do it!"

Link got up as well. "Did not! Don't be an asshole, Shade!"

Darmani stared at the piece of paper, and noticed Link's messily written name in the corner. He marched over to Link. Link froze in spot. The coach pointed to Shade with a muscular finger.

"You. Get over here," he ordered Shade in a deep, threatening voice. Shade nervously walked over to him. He turned to Link. "Drop and give me four hundred."

"Four _hundred_!" Link exclaimed, the fear growing inside of him like a deadly disease.

"_Hundred_," Darmani repeated through gritted teeth.

Link started to go down, but the coach stopped him.

"With Shade on your back," he finished.

"_What_! Are you out of your _mind_?" Link yelled. "I'm not letting that _idiot _of a brother sit on my back while I do push-ups! You're insane!"

Darmani glared at him with hostile eyes. "Drop. And do four hundred. With Shade. On your back. NOW!"

Link fell to his hands and knees, and Shade sat on his back. The moment his brother sat on him, the extra weight caused Link to lose his balance and fall to the cold gymnasium floor.

"Pathetic!" Darmani hissed. "I'm ashamed!" He nodded at Shade. "Get off his back, boy. It seems he's too week to handle it!"

Shade stood up and winked at his brother before blending himself back in with the other students.

Link started to get up, but Darmani placed his foot on his back, pushing him back down.

"Hold it right there, boy," the coach snarled. "You're not going anywhere until you give me four hundred push-ups!"

Link groaned, and assumed the position for push-ups. Then, after taking a deep breath, he started.

A half-hour later, Link miraculously finished.

"Good job," Darmani congratulated him. He brought his whistle to his mouth. "Now give me four hundred more!"

Link didn't try to fight it this time; he was too tired to even try. At the sound of Darmani's whistle, he started another set of push-ups.

When he was about halfway through, Darmani stopped him.

_Is he letting me go?_ Link thought, his hopes rising.

"Was that two hundred and thirty-two, or two hundred and _forty_-two?" he asked.

Link's hopes were crushed. "What the-? You lost count?"

"Do I look like some kind of mathematician to you?" he brought his whistle back up to his lips. "Start over!"

So Link started over. By the time he was on his last push-up, his shoulders felt like lead and his arms were just about ready to fall off. The moment he finished his last push-up, the rest of the class had already changed into their clean clothes. A few of them hadn't even bothered to shower, because they had spent the entire class watching Link suffer.

When he was done, Link collapsed onto the cold floor. The bell rang immediately afterwards. Shade laughed at his exhausted brother a few times before leaving him behind in the gymnasium with Ganon and the rest of his buddies.

Darmani stood next to Link's collapsed body. "Boy, I admire your determination and courage," he said.

"Meeh," was all Link could say; he was too tired to form real words.

"I heard around the staff room that you know hand-to-hand combat," he continued.

"Ummhmm . . ."

"I'll take that as a yes, then," Darmani laughed. "Sorry for the horrible abuse, by the way. You've gotta set your expectations high on the first day, make a good first impression so that the students will work harder. And I know Shade was the one that threw that airplane.

"Heeeaa?" Link exclaimed in surprise and shock.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets his beating later," Darmani chuckled. "Go on, hit the shower."

Link tiredly dragged himself across the gymnasium floor, towards the locker rooms. He could barely stand when he made it into the shower; his arms were nearly useless when he tried to turn on the taps.

He was out of the shower in two minutes, leaving a bit of time for him to get ready for his next class. He stepped out into the hallway, his book bag gently lying on his shoulder, and tried to walk down the hall without falling over completely. All the students that had been in gym with him stared at him in amazement and awe; most of them were shocked that Link made it out of gym class alive.

* * *

Biology with Mr. Mizumi was last. The class was pretty straightforward for Link: make it to the classroom without collapsing, sit in the desk and try to pay attention, and try to lift himself out of the desk without throwing up or losing his balance. When Mido asked him what was up, he still couldn't form words that were easily understood; he was often asked by Mido to repeat the sentence a bit more clearly.

It took a long time for him, but eventually, Biology was over, and he was free to go to his dorm room and cry his eyes out from all the torture.

_I'd better be freaking buff by the end of all this pain! _Link thought furiously to himself as he walked down the halls, his arms hanging by his sides as if they were dead.

As if he wasn't troubled enough already, he ended up running into Ruto.

"Whoa, what happened to you, Link?" she yelled out.

"Gym class . . ." Link cried. "Had to do . . . two sets . . . of four hundred . . . push-ups . . ."

"That's awful!" Ruto exclaimed. She got underneath Link, hoisting his left half onto her right shoulder. "Come on, let's get you to your dorm room!"

"Thenk yoo . . ." Link sighed, his words becoming garbled again.

"Was Darunia in a bad mood today or something?"

"No . . . new teacher . . . replacing Darunia . . . for five days . . ."

"Five _days_? You have to put up with this for five days?"

Link wearily nodded.

"You're lucky tomorrow's Friday! You should fake sick or something!"

Ruto stopped outside near the oak tree that was in the middle of the campus grounds. She set Link down.

"Sorry, but you're kind of heavy . . . I have to stop and rest," Ruto sighed, rubbing her arms.

"It's fine, Ruto . . . I can make it from here . . ." Link argued.

"Nonsense! You won't be able to make it up all those stairs to your room!"

Link realized that she was right; he hadn't even bothered to think about the stairs that lead up to his floor. Link slumped down onto the ground, using the tree to hold himself up.

"Well, at least it's only for five days . . . I guess it could be worse," Ruto said. She sat down next to Link. "How are your arms feeling?"

"Geh . . ." Link grumbled.

Ruto giggled. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, but you sure are getting hurt a lot lately, aren't you? I mean, you got beat up by Ganon the first time in the cafeteria, and then you got a little roughed up by him _again_ when he beat up Zelda, and then you got pushed into a thorn bush, and now _this_. You just can't seem to stay away from trouble, can you?"

Link tried to laugh, but he didn't have the energy to do it. He was hoping that in Biology the pain would subside a little bit, but now that school was over, he knew that the pain wasn't going to go away any time soon.

Ruto slowly edged her way closer to him. "You know, we were all scared when Ganon beat you up that first time back in November . . ."

"Whatever . . . I can take care of Ganon," Link sighed, becoming aware of Ruto's sudden closeness.

"Don't you think it's okay to accept help from time to time?" Ruto asked him.

"I accept help if I need it," Link objected.

"Not when it comes to fighting Ganon," Ruto said. "But just think about it – he's in twelfth grade this year, which means he's going to be gone come next year. You can enjoy your last year here; no more Ganon."

Link smiled. He liked that idea; no more having to put up with Ganon, no more getting beat up or hearing about other kids getting beat up . . . and best of all, it was a whole year that, if things went well, he could spend with Zelda.

Ruto leaned forward and gave Link a quick, tight hug. Link cringed slightly, his body still in pain from the workout in gym class.

"Don't worry, Link; I'm sure everything will work out the way it's supposed to," she said.

_Why is she saying something like that all of a sudden?_ Link thought to himself nervously.

"I swear it will," Ruto assured.

"Ruto, I don't get what you're-"

Ruto suddenly grabbed his chin, moved his face so that he was facing her, and she kissed him. Link was so exhausted and so startled that he didn't know how to react. The kiss only lasted a brief second. Ruto smiled at him, and then got up from the ground.

"See you later, Link," she said happily. Then she left with a cheerful bounce in her step.

Link stared at the grass for a long time.

_That was . . . weird. _

* * *

Zelda didn't bother to confront him yet. But she _had _seen what had just happened with him and Ruto. Whether or not it was just another misunderstanding, she knew she had to do something. Worrying about Ren was bad enough; now she had to worry about Ruto taking him away too.

_I'm getting so sick of this_, Zelda thought angrily. _Why can't I just . . . have a happy ending?_


	19. Confrontation

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 19: Confrontation**

When the guitar club met up after school, they quickly discussed what song they were going to play.

"I think 'The Chain' is our best bet," Tijo said. "I already know how to play that song on the drums."

"The bass is pretty straightforward too," Japas agreed.

"But wait," Link stopped them. "Shouldn't we get Zelda's input on this too?"

"Well, yeah, but I don't know if you realized that Zelda isn't here," Mikau sighed.

Link pulled out his cellphone and sent a quick text to Zelda.

_Zelda, where are you? I thought you would be at guitar club by now._

He waited a few moments. His phone rang with Zelda's response.

_I'm busy_, it said. Link started to type in his own response.

_Okay. Well, we're thinking of playing 'The Chain' for our back-up song. Is that okay with you?_

Link had to wait a little longer for her to reply. He figured she was writing a lengthy response. When his phone finally rang, he was shocked to see her reply.

_Whatever_.

Growing paranoid, Link started to type in another message.

_Zelda, are you okay? Did something happen?_

He stood there staring at his phone, waiting for a response. He stood there for about five minutes; still no word from Zelda. He put his phone back into his pocket.

"Guys, I think something's wrong with Zelda," he said to the rest of the guitar club. "You don't mind if I leave right quick to check on her, do you?"

"Hmm . . . fine," Mikau sighed. "Try to make it back so you can get a bit of practice in; we need to get our two songs ready by next week."

Lin nodded as he pulled on his jacket. He quickly ran out the door, down the hallway, and through the lobby doors. Then he made his way to the girls' dorm building.

When he was inside, he went up the stairs two at a time, ignoring the weird looks the other students were giving him. When he made it to Zelda's room, he knocked furiously on her door.

She answered with pure hostility – her hands were curled into fists; her eyes were red and raw; her hair was messy; and worst of all, she glared at Link with complete hatred for him.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"Zelda, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I think you know what's wrong."

"No, I don't; that's why I'm asking you!"

Zelda put her hands on her hips. "You do realize that playing dumb isn't going to do you any good, right?"

"I'm not acting dumb! I just have no clue what you're talking about!" Link exclaimed, his pulse rising.

"I'm talking about your need to grab every girl that comes into your sight!" Zelda yelled. She was angry, no doubt – after all, she had never been in any good relationships. She had, once again, too easily gotten her hopes up, and they had once again been crushed.

"What?" Link cried out. "I still don't know what you're talking about!"

Zelda groaned in defeat and turned around, walking to her bed and flopping down on it stomach-first. Link walked inside her room, closing the door behind him. He felt a little more comfortable near the door, a safe distance away from Zelda.

"Zelda, what's wrong?" Link asked again in a more soothing voice.

Zelda turned her head, one side of her face still sunk down in the mattress.

"Why should you care?" she muttered angrily.

"I care. Why shouldn't I? I love you, Zelda."

Tears started to well up in Zelda's eyes. She dragged her face across her mattress in an attempt to wipe them away. She didn't bother to turn her face back to its original position – she didn't want to cry at the sight of Link's face.

"Link, I have to know . . ." she began, her voice a quiet whisper. "What is going on between you and Ruto?"

Link's heart sank. _So, she knew all along . . . _he thought. _Damn it . . ._

"Zelda, I swear – what Ruto did was completely accidental," Link said.

"_Accidental_?" Zelda yelled, bolting up from the bed.

Link rubbed his temples, trying to soothe his growing headache. "Okay, let me try and rephrase that . . . Basically, Zelda, Ruto kissed _me_. She was helping me back to my dorm room, and-"

"Helping you to your dorm room?" Zelda asked, a look of suspicion in her eyes.

"Well, I was in gym class, and we have a substitute coach . . . he kind of made me do a few sets of four hundred push-ups," Link said. When he heard himself speak the words, he realized how idiotic they sounded, even though it was the truth.

"I'm sure that's what it was," Zelda muttered, rolling her eyes at Link's explanation.

"No, ask anyone who's in my gym class! Even Kafei will vouch for me! The whole class watched me suffer all the way from the first bell to break time! I can still barely move my arms for God's sake!"

"So Ruto was helping you to your dorm room because your new coach made you do four hundred push-ups," Zelda summarized.

"Yes!" Link exclaimed.

"Then why did she kiss you?"

Link groaned. "Why wouldn't Ruto kiss me, Zel? It's Ruto! She's had a crush on me for years, and she refuses to get over me too! No matter how many times I tell her, she just won't get the message that I'm not in love with her! She's really starting to annoy the hell out of me!"

"So instead of telling her off about it, you just sat there and let her kiss you?" Zelda asked doubtfully.

"Well . . . I . . . no, that's not what it is, Zelda," Link hesitated. "Look, I was just caught off-guard, alright? And I knew that if I gave Ruto a big reaction, it would just make her chase me even more."

"Mm-hmm," Zelda grumbled. It was easy for Link to tell that she didn't believe a word he was saying.

"Zelda, what ever happened to you trusting me?" Link asked her. "Didn't you tell me that you trusted me?"

"That was before all these girls starting breathing down our necks!" Zelda argued. "I thought Ren was bad enough, but now you have to deal with Ruto too! Are there any other girls I should be worried about?"

"Zelda, I know it seems bad, but I promise you, I have no feelings for those girls whatsoever. I've never considered Ruto as dating material for me, and Ren is a psychotic bitch who loves to play tricks with people's minds! I'm telling you, Ren's just trying to get to your head! And Ruto's just being as annoying as ever!"

Zelda sat down on her bed, cradling her head in her hands and taking deep breaths. "Link, I just don't know what to do . . ." she cried in a low, quiet voice. "I can't seem to trust you, especially with all of this going on . . ."

Link got down to his knees and pulled Zelda's hands away from her face. He stared deep into her blue eyes, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Zelda, I promised you that I would never hurt you, right?" he asked her.

Zelda hesitated, and then nodded.

"I have no intention to ever break that promise, no matter what happens in the future," he continued. "I love you, Zelda, and that's all that matters. No matter what Ren or Ruto do, I'm not going to let them get to me; if they want us split up, they'll have to try a little harder than that."

Zelda tried to smile, but it was hard with all the tears growing in her eyes. She soon managed a small one, which caused Link to smile even more.

"Zelda, I promise, I will not do anything to hurt you, okay?" Link whispered as he began to caress her cheek with his hand. "I've tried really hard to get your affection and keep it this long – I'm not going to let it go down that quickly."


	20. A Conversation with an Old Friend

**Hey guys,**

**Another short chapter, but it's the only way I'm able to pace this arc . . . I actually have a huge graph plotted out on Photoshop with the names of the major characters in the arc, who they talk to, who they affect, who they beat up, who they cheat on, etc ROFL So when this arc is all finished, I'll go ahead and submit the graph to my DA account so you guys can check it out X3 It's a rough draft, so things may not be exactly the same in the story as they are portrayed in the graph, but it's pretty neat to look at. I remember being so aggravated at trying to figure out everything for the arc that I eventually just started doodling the graph out during English class X3**

**-Shinigami-Zelda-sama **

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 20: A Conversation with an Old Friend**

Zelda stared at her bedroom wall. Navi tried to ignore her, and kept her mind focused on the ads section of the newspaper she was editing. As Zelda stared at the wall, her mind strayed to a thousand different things – and almost all of them lead back to Link. Part of her wanted to continue trusting Link, and believe in all his stories; but the other part of her still had its suspicions. In the end, she didn't know what to believe, and she found herself trapped within a hurricane of negative thoughts.

Zelda eventually came to a different decision altogether.

"Navi, can I borrow your laptop for a sec?" she asked her roommate. Navi typed a few more words into her computer, and then passed it to Zelda.

Zelda said a quick thank-you, and began opening up her email account. She had only a few emails, all fo them notifications from her music class and dojo. She checked to see who was available to chat. Luna, Malon, Saria, Ciela, Tael, and Uzuki were online.

She clicked on Uzuki's name.

_Hey, Uzuki_, she typed. _Remember me?_

A few seconds passed before Uzuki replied; Zelda was aware of her fast typing.

_Um, yeah . . . you used to go to Kakariko, right? You're a year below me. It's great to hear from you again._

_Yep, that's me. How are things going for you?_

_Some 'ole, same 'ole; raiding bars, writing and drawing some creepy shit, trying to keep my boy relationships strong. The usual, as usual._

_Are you having boy problems too?_

_A few here and there. My boyfriend dumped me again for the same reason as before – he fell in love with this otaku who hangs out at our table. Thankfully, though, another guy who I met earlier in the year asked me out the weekend before; so at least I'm not forever alone XD_

_That blows. When did this happen?_

_Back at the beginning of the school year. The new guy's name is Peter. He's okay, but I still haven't really gotten over the other guy yet . . . even though I want to slice his throat. _

_What's Peter like?_

_Well, he's easy for me to relate to, that's for sure._

Zelda laughed to herself.

_LOL Why is that?_

_Let me put it this way: when I was dating the other guy, I couldn't really be myself around him. He always took me to be this 'innocent little angel'. The dumbass was blind with love, basically. I guess when he realized I'm not 'innocent' or a 'little angel', he decided to throw me out like trash and go for the one that skips school every day and has no life other than the dang Internet. _

_Don't you skip school though?_

_Only if I really have to. I don't like missing a day when I could be hanging out with my friends . . . what's left of em', at least. Since I started dating Peter, they've been acting like real jackasses, mostly towards him. Is it my fault he's not from our table? Big deal! They should get used to him, because there is no way I'm going back to Saichi!_

_Wow . . . I'm sorry._

_It's no problem. I have to get it all out of my system anyway. I'll get over Saichi soon, just like how I got over Makoto. I just need to punch the shit out of a few people to release my anger LOL. So, are you having any guy problems, or is it just me having mental breakdowns over the pathetic men?_

_Well, I'm dating somebody now, but it's kind of going downhill . . ._

_Talk to me. I'm good at helping people vent out their issues – it's because I don't mind people dumping their shit on me ROFL_

_His name is Link. He's really sweet, and talented, and kind, but . . . well, I think he's been seeing other girls behind my back._

_BLAH! No way!_

_The other day, he was helping his ex-girlfriend with English homework, even though he claimed to hate her._

_WHAT? What a dumbass! Doesn't he know that ex-girlfriend plus homework equals danger? _

_I also saw him kiss this other girl who's had a crush on him for years._

_OMG I'm friends with a guy like that! He's had a crush on me since fourth grade, but he still won't get over it! I should probably just kiss him and get it over with so that he can move on . . . but then again, I like to torture people, heehee!_

Zelda was about to type a response, but Uzuki made another message before she could finish typing.

_You know, I have to say the same thing happened to me too, only it was the other way around. I'm going to confess right now, Peter asked me out the weekend before Saichi dumped me the second time. I could tell the guy liked me, but I wanted to let him down easy because I was already in love with Saichi. I didn't really think it was so bad at the time, but I was torn apart when Saichi dumped me again :'( So now I'm dating Peter, and things are going okay, but it's because Saichi dumped me and I started dating Peter so fast that it's taking me a long time to get used to._

_Gah!_ Zelda thought. _She types responses way too fast!_ She started to type a response as fast as she could, before Uzuki could put up another message.

_So that's how it worked out between you and Peter? I could see how that upset you, starting things with him so fast. And you and Saichi were dating for almost a year, right? It would be hard to get used to spending time with Peter and kissing him instead of Saichi . . ._

Uzuki's response didn't come as quickly as usual. Zelda began to tap her fingers against her lap, waiting for Uzuki to reply. She eventually gave in to impatience.

_Uzuki?_ Zelda typed.

_I-I'm sorry . . . _she typed. _I'm just kind of . . . losing it. I swear, I had a mental breakdown the night Saichi dumped me. And I've been having this problem for a long time now where I can't make decisions . . . the voice in my head fights with me a lot about things, but now I just don't know what to do about it._

_You have a voice in your head? _Zelda asked.

_Have you ever had to make a decision so hard that while you thought to yourself about it, another voice came in and started to tell you otherwise? It almost argues with you, really. It's the most annoying thing for me. _

_Hmm, maybe. I'm not really sure._

_Well, it makes me feel like I have schizophrenia. I already have enough mental diseases as it is. _

_Oh, you're not mental._

_Heh, that's what you think. I'm not the 'sick' kind of mental person, with pills and stuff. I'm more or less the 'emotional' mental person – I fantasize about killing people and stuff like that. I can't really do anything about it, not unless I'm in a healthier environment. Some doctors have tried to help me, but I've talked about killing them too; after all, I don't want anybody trying to change me into something I'm not._

_Yeesh, that's pretty bad._

_I can't help it. There's this buzzing in my head whenever I get really worked up or stressed, and that's when the killing thoughts come in. I guess I can't cope with anything any other way._

_You . . . haven't killed anybody, have you?_

_No, not yet. Although I did take a knife to somebody who was pissing me off. It's that buzz in my head; it drives me so insane that I do things that are stupid and irrational. _

Zelda stretched her arms out, her wrists sore from typing so much. She hadn't realized that Uzuki had problems too – even though she always knew Uzuki was a little bit off. It reassured her a little bit to know that her friends from Kakariko were having their own fair share of problems; it made her feel less like she was the only one.

_Uzuki, what do you think I should do?_ Zelda typed. _You know, about Link._

_I say you just ask him how he feels, if everything is true, _Uzuki replies. _If something is wrong in the relationship, he should just come out and say it, instead of playing with other girls and hurting your feelings._

_I wonder how he'll react; I already yelled at him about it._

_Well, if you can catch him, talk things out. It'll help a bit. I'm only saying this because Saichi and I never got our problems worked out; he just thought breaking up with me was the only way. If your relationship with Link is strong, you'll be able to get through anything._

_I'm sorry about you and Saichi, Uzuki._

_It's okay, I just have to suck it up and get used to it. I've been looking at the reasons why he probably broke up with me._

_Oh?_

_I'm a filthy whore. Yeah, let's start with that._

_Uzuki!_

_Face it, Zel, I'm pierced in every way possible, I have the dirtiest mind out of everyone at our table, I don't believe in God or any form of religion, and I dream of killing people. Saichi was too goody-goody for me._

_I'm sorry . . ._

_Don't be. Peter's way more my style. He's an artist, like me, and likes to release his madness upon the world in his own personal way, even if it's cruel. It's too bad I had to waste my time with Saichi when I could have been spending it so much better with Peter. _

_I hope everything works out for you._

_Same goes for you. So, are you ever coming back to Kakariko?_

_I'm coming home for Christmas. I might stop in to see you while I'm there._

_You'd better, girl. And if you're still dating him, bring Link down for me so I can give him a couple whacks over the head for treating you like a pile of dog shit. _

_LOL Alright. I'll talk to you later, okay, Uzuki?_

_It was great talking to you, Zel. I'm glad that I was able to chat with you._

_And I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me about your problems as well._

_ROFL I tell everybody my problems. That's why all my friends call me a bitch – because I bitch and complain LOL._

_Well, you have your reasons, and they just don't seem to understand. I wish you and Peter the best._

_Thanks. Good luck to you too; I hope you work everything out with Link._

_I'll certainly try my best :)_

_Same here :)Now I bid you farewell; I has a bar to raid X3_

_LOL Have fun with that. And say hi to Peter for me._

_No prob! See you at Christmas._

_CONNECTION LOST._

Zelda smiled to herself before closing the laptop and handing it back to Navi. She let out a sigh. Then she pulled out her cellphone, and dialled Link's number. Link picked up before the first ring could even finish.

"_Hello?_" he said quickly. He almost sound panicked. He was probably dying to have a conversation with Zelda to explain everything again.

"Hey, Link," Zelda said. "Um, do you mind if I meet up with you? I want to talk."

"Yeah, it's no problem," Link said in an almost relieved kind of way. "Where do you want to meet?"

"How about in the library? It's quiet there."

"O-Okay. I'll be there as quickly as I can."

"Okay."

Then she hung up. She didn't know how she was going to talk to him about everything, but she was just going to do everything that Uzuki suggested, and find out what was going on with Link, with a calm and careful approach.

Zelda grabbed her jacket and laced up her boots.

"I'll be back soon, Navi," she said to her roommate. "Don't wait up."

"No prob, girl," Navi said with a smile. "I'll have something to eat ready for you when you get back."

"See you later."

Then Zelda gathered all of her courage, and walked out the door.


	21. All the Same

**Hey guys,**

**The first part of this chapter may seem a little off for OCL, but it was merely created so you can take a peek into Uzuki's life, one of Zelda's old friends from Kakariko. What happens during her part in the story really doesn't change the plot in any way – it's merely a way to show you the things Uzuki has to put up with, and shows us a bit of information on her considering she's just suddenly showed up in the story.**

**Hope you enjoy it! Please R&R!**

**-Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 21: All the Same**

Uzuki painted her nails a dark black, giving them multiple coats to make them darker. When she was done with the black, she began to paint operator symbols* overtop the black with white polish. When she was done, she smiled in satisfaction, and then moved on to her toes. She painted them with a several white coats, and then covered over the white with black operator symbols. She was bored out of her mind, but she had to keep herself occupied so that her mind didn't stray to Saichi. And in the background, she even had playing what she considered to be good "break-up songs", including "Lollipop" by Mika, "Heart-Shaped Box" by Nirvana, "Brand New Day" by Sting, and her personal favorite, "The Bitch Came Back", by Three Days Grace.

While she was doing the finishing touches on her toes, Zant walked into her room.

"Hasn't anybody ever taught you to knock?" Uzuki grumbled, keeping her eyes on her lacquered nails.

"I did knock," Zant objected.

"Knocking while you open the door doesn't count," Uzuki sighed as she finished her pinkie toe and put the bottles of nail polish away. She leaned back into her recliner so that she was staring right out her bedroom window. She had dug the recliner out of the junkyard; all it really needed was a bit of cleaning up and a spray of air freshener. She hated how wasteful humans could be of things that were still in perfect condition.

"Sorry, but I'm bored," Zant muttered. "What are you up to?"

"Mourning," Uzuki scoffed. "Over my dead relationship."

"I thought you said you were over Saichi."

Uzuki turned her head to glare at him with swollen, red, hostile eyes.

"Does this look like I've gotten over him to you?" she yelled, pointing to her teary eyes. "I'm not in the fucking mood for you today, Zant!"

Zant sighed, and sat down on the bed next to her. "Hey, it's alright. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. How are you feeling?"

"I feel like I just got shit out of the rear end of a cow," she growled. Zant tried to laugh, but he could already tell that Uzuki was smiling too at her own joke, so he let a little snicker pass his lips.

"Well, that's not good, now is it?" Zant laughed. "Come on, why don't you go hang out with Peter or something? It'll take your mind of Saichi. You've gotten over Makoto before; I'm sure you can do it with Saichi too."

"But you don't understand, Zant! I dated Saichi for nearly a full _fucking_ year! And then he throws me out like I'm a disposable piece of garbage? I hate him! I want to kill him!"

Zant rubbed Uzuki's shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"How about this? If you don't want to hang out with Peter and be reminded of Saichi, let's go get some hot dogs down street. Hot dogs always make people feel better."

"I don't know . . ." Uzuki sighed. "I'm not really in the mood for hot dogs . . ."

"You will be when you try _these_ ones! They're right out of the fryer, so they're really greasy! All your troubles wash away when you eat one! Come on, Uzuki, would you rather sit here in this empty frigged-up house by yourself, or would you rather stuff your face with hot dogs? I'll even pay for you."

Uzuki looked up at Zant, and eventually smiled. "Alright, fine. I guess I can't fight hot dogs for long, especially when you're buying them for me." Uzuki closed her laptop, where she had kept it open on her dresser, and pulled on a jacket to keep herself warm – she was known for getting the chills easily, no matter what the weather was. .

"By the way, Zant, I gotta ask, are your parents planning on having their yearly Christmas party?" Uzuki asked curiously.

"Yeah, same as every year," Zant replied.

"I hope your sister comes over," Uzuki continued. "I'd like to see her again."

"_Step_-sister," Zant corrected her. "And why would you want to see her?" he teased. "She's boring."

"Well, she's going through the same shit as me right now, so it would be nice to talk to someone I can actually relate to who isn't Peter."

"Oh, so her boyfriend dumped her for another girl and was asked out by a psychopathic artist the weekend before who's graduating this year and leaving for a far-off country for university to boot?"

Uzuki's eyes began to well up. She collapsed onto her bed face-first, and let the tears fly.

"You idiot!" she cried out. "Don't make me think of the break-up, please!"

"I'm sorry!" Zant immediately apologized. "I didn't mean to! Don't cry, Uzuki!"

"I'm _not crying_!" she yelled out. "It's natural instinct for my stupid body to make tears! I really don't want to cry; I want to punch your face in!"

"Hey, remember those hot dogs I mentioned earlier?" Zant brought up, trying to make her feel less angry.

Uzuki chucked a pillow at him. "Get out of my room! Before I rip that tongue of yours right out of your goddamn mouth!"

Zant dodged her pillow, and then ran out of the room. "Sorry!" he apologized again as he ran down the stairs of the house and out the door.

Uzuki sighed, and rubbed her temples, the buzzing in her head starting up again.

"Ugh, I hate this . . ." she cried to herself, wiping away the tears that had nearly dried onto her face. She stared out her window for a few moments, watching the people and cars pass by on the street. Nobody ever paid much attention to her and the house that she lived in; but they certainly had heard the rumours.

Uzuki Kasahara, a girl who lived in a shape-shifting house. A lot of kids liked to make horror stories out of it to tell around the campfire or underneath a blanket with a flashlight, but Uzuki knew that if they knew the truth about her and the house, things would become even worse than they already were.

Uzuki turned around and headed down the hallway, about to go down the stairs when she heard a strange noise. It was the sound of shuffling feet, as if somebody else was in the house with her. She knew it wasn't Zant; she had heard the door slam when he left. Not to mention, there was no reason for Zant to pry around her house like some kind of thief – he was too soft to do that.

Uzuki's skin began to crawl as the shuffling became louder. Despite the fact that she had dealt with these kinds of things before in the house, she still got the chills whenever it happened. She stopped, and listened carefully to try and track down which room the shuffling was coming from by the height of the volume.

Suddenly, a door slammed, causing Uzuki to nearly jump out of her skin. Spinning around, she saw that the door to her bedroom was shut.

"Hello . . . ?" Uzuki asked quietly, trying to communicate with the thing that was shuffling around in her house and slamming her doors. "I'm not in the mood for your little games!" she yelled out finally, deciding that this was just another incident in her house that she would have to deal with.

Uzuki crept to her bedroom door, and leaned down to look through the crack between the door and the floor. She could see shadows underneath it, most likely from somebody standing on the other side. She tried the doorknob, but the door wouldn't open. She started to hit herself against the door, attempting to break it down, but it wouldn't budge.

"Alright, I guess he means business today . . ." she sighed. She lifted her leg, and with one swift push, she kicked down the door.

But there was no one there.

Uzuki checked the entire room: under her bed, in her closet, outside through the open window. But the intruder was nowhere to be found. Uzuki hung her head out the window, surveying up and down the street to see if he was hiding anywhere outside.

She suddenly heard another door slam from inside the house. When she pulled her head in, pulling the two door-like window panes closed too, she spun around to see the intruder standing across from her.

"Hello again, Opera-" she started to say, but a blast of energy came from the intruder before she could finish, knocking her straight through the window and onto the ground two storeys below. She landed on her back, surprising anybody who happened to be near the house and saw her get thrown out the window. She had to wait a few moments to catch her breath, and when she did, she leaped back to her feet, and started to scream at the house window.

"Get out of my house, you freak!" she screamed.

Strange, high-pitched noises started to enter Uzuki's mind. The sound of the voice made Uzuki cringe, and it only made her headache worsen.

"I don't care what your reasons are, I'm living here now!"

Another response from the deathly-high voice.

"Fuck that! You think I'm going to go down without a fight? I'll kick your ass out of that house if I have to!"

The people around her gave her funny looks, and rushed to get away from the strange scene they were witnessing. Mothers covered over their children's ears so they couldn't hear the profanity that was coming out of Uzuki's mouth.

"Watch me walk back inside the house, jackass!" Uzuki challenged the intruder. She marched right up to the door, but when she grabbed the doorknob, she couldn't get it open; just like the bedroom door, it had been jammed shut. Uzuki stepped back out so that the intruder could see her from the window.

"Oh, real mature!" she said. "That just shows how great of a fighter you are when you lock the doors, you fucking coward! If you won't let me in, why don't you come out here so we can settle this the right way!"

Before Uzuki could anticipate it, the intruder was outside, standing mere centimeters away from her.

"That's . . . better," she sighed, staring up at the intruder's face.

Another loud screech filled Uzuki's head.

"Shut _up_!" Uzuki yelled back. "I heard you the first fifty times! I'm not getting out of your stupid house, especially now that you're picking fights with me about it!"

Suddenly, Uzuki felt a sudden pain in her body, and before she knew it, blood was spilling out of her nose.

"Ugh . . ." Uzuki hissed, holding her belly from the sudden pain. Her legs suddenly felt like static, and she soon collapsed onto the ground from all the pain. The intruder looked down on her, and then walked away, leaving Uzuki to convulse on the ground as if she were having a seizure, blood running out of her nose and mouth.

_Dammit . . . I'm bleeding again._

It was Uzuki's last thought before her body completely gave out and the world blacked out around her.

* * *

Zelda went up the stairs, trying to shake off the chill from the brisk winter that lay outside. It was a sunny day, but the temperature was freezing, and she regretted not bringing an extra jacket to give her an extra layer of warmth. She knew now that she would have to really make a run for it back to the girls' building after witnessing how cold it had become outside in so little time.

_Note to self_, she thought. _Ask mom for a new jacket for Christmas. _

Link was heading up the stairs from the other end of the building, where it was closer to the boy's building from the other end of the campus. The cold didn't bother him too much, but he knew that it was a chillier day than usual.

As he was heading down the second floor's hallway, he ran into the one person who he didn't want to see.

Ren.

"Oh, hey, Link," she greeted him with an innocent smile. "Didn't think I would run into you after school. How's it going?"

"Busy," Link mumbled. He tried to walk past her, but she didn't let him.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" she giggled. "What's got you in such a hurry?"

"I'm busy, Ren," Link said again, this time in a tenser voice.

"Is something bothering you, Link? Come on, tell me. I'd like to help."

"I'm going to apologize to my _girlfriend_," Link said, trying to stress the word 'girlfriend' so that he could get it through Ren's head.

"Link, you don't give me enough credit, do you?" she said. "I'm through playing around with you. I don't care that you're seeing other people. I just want to clear the water between us, alright? Can't you at least let me do that?"

Link let out a sigh. "Ren, you're the reason I have to apologize to Zelda in the first place. Because of you and Ruto, Zelda's convinced that I'm not committed to her. Now my relationship with her is in danger of breaking apart at the seams."

"Ooh, a metaphor! That's not making your argument any tougher, you know," Ren snickered. "Look, Ruto's not my responsibility. Whatever Ruto does or says to you are her own actions _completely_. What I'm doing now is just trying to fix whatever friendship we used to have."

Link started to settle down. He figured that Ruto was doing everything on her own, but he found it odd that she finally decided to do what she did only after Ren showed up at the Academy.

"Are you okay?" Ren asked him. "I'm sorry if I'm causing your relationship to fall apart . . . I feel so guilty now . . ."

"No, I'm sorry for blaming you," Link apologized. "I know that Zelda and I will get all of this confusion cleared. Then you won't have anything to worry about."

"I hope so," Ren said.

Then she spotted Zelda standing at the end of the hallway, walking towards them. She smirked at Link with a face that was now filled with trickery.

"You know, Link, you _really_ should give me a bit more credit," she giggled quietly, her innocent smile growing into a devious smirk. "I'm a psychopathic bitch, remember?"

Before Link could react, Ren grabbed the collar of his shirt and forcefully pulled him into a deep kiss. Link jumped away from her.

"Whoa!" he yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you girls? I knew you were up to something, Ren! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Why don't you talk to your girlfriend _now_?" Ren snickered. "She saw the whole thing. You should treat women better, instead of lying to them and playing around with other girls. You don't want to be alone for the rest of your life, do you?"

Link spun around, and before he could say any words, Zelda gave him the hardest punch to the face he had ever been given. It was even harder than any of the punches he had given from Ganon. If Ganon's fists were tanks, then Zelda's fists were _freight trains_. Her punch was so unexpected and so strong that it sent Link straight to the floor.

"Zelda, I . . . !" Link began, but Zelda interrupted him.

"Don't you dare talk, Link!" she yelled at him. Ren quietly slipped away as Zelda's eyes were fixed on her boyfriend.

Link staggered to his feet, holding his throbbing jaw in his hand. "Zelda, I swear, I wasn't-"

"Wasn't what, Link? Kissing her?"

"She kissed _me_!"

"That excuse won't work a second time, Link!"

"Zelda, get over your dang temper and listen to me for a second!"

"_I don't have a temper_!" Zelda shouted, and punched Link in the face again, this time on the other side. Link nearly collapsed, but he managed to keep his ground.

"Zelda, please, let me explain . . ." Link whimpered, his face hurting every time he spoke. "I promised you I would never hurt you, didn't I?"

"You have, Link! You've hurt me more than words can explain!" she yelled at him. "I don't want to keep putting up with you and your stupid promises! Every time you make a promise, you break it! Every time you tell me I can trust you, you wait for me to turn around and then you stab me in the back! I can't take it anymore!"

Link stopped rubbing his jaw immediately. "Zelda . . . what are you saying?"

Zelda shook her head, tears beginning to run down her face. "I just . . . can't take it anymore . . ."

Link walked towards her, and grabbed her shoulders, trying to look into her eyes. "Zelda, we'll work through this!" he said painfully.

"Link, you knew this would happen if you continued to play around with me heart!" she sobbed. She looked up at him with teary eyes. "I don't want to be with you if you're just going to be breaking all the trust I place in you. I _trusted _you, Link . . . ! You're the first boy I've trusted in a long time, and you went and broke it like all the others. I was right . . . you men are all the same."

Link felt his heart being ripped in two. He had never anticipated that Zelda would say the words to him, the same words that she had said to all the other boys that had broken her heart. He never wanted to hear her say those words again. And here she was, saying them right in front to his face.

"Zelda, you don't mean that . . . do you?" he asked her, his face heating up and his pulse rising.

Zelda stared at him for a moment. She didn't want to hurt him, but what choice did she have? She had given in to her stupid temper again. And now things were probably irreparable. So she turned around, tears pouring out of her eyes like waterfalls, and ran down the hallway, leaving Link behind.

Link watched her as she sprinted down the hallway, her final words ringing through his head over and over again, digging a deeper cut into his heart every time he heard them.

"_You're the first boy I've trusted in a long time, and you went and broke it like all the others. I was right . . . you men are all the same."_

"_I was right . . . you men are all the same."_

"_. . . You men are all the same."_

* * *

**OH HOH! What an ending to a chapter . . . but not to the story! If some of you think this is the end of the story, it is not, because we all know Link and Zelda just HAVE to have a happy ending X3 I will get the next chapters up within the next couple days, so just stay alert for when the chapter is put up! **

**(Although, if I'm lying and this story was supposed to be sad at the end, then this would be the perfect way to end it . . . LOL jk)**


	22. Let's Make a Plan!

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 22: Let's Make a Plan! (A Really Confusing Plan!)**

"BWAHAHAHA!"

"Sheik, it's not funny in the slightest bit!"

"I'm sorry, but . . . you got beat up by a GIRL!"

Link spun around and began to head in the other direction, not wanting to pay any attention to Sheik's teasing.

_I knew I shouldn't have come to school today,_ he thought angrily to himself. _What did I expect?_

"Wait up, Link, I'm sorry," Sheik stopped him before he could leave. "I didn't mean to laugh. I just . . . your face . . ."

"I'm aware of my face!" Link grumbled, his words muffled from his swollen face. He had a black eye, and both sides of his face were swollen so big that they were the size of golf balls.

"So tell me, what happened again?" Sheik asked.

"Zelda punched me in the face _twice_ because she caught me with Ren. I knew I shouldn't have trusted Ren! Now she's caused my relationship to end! Zelda dumped me yesterday after everything that happened!"

"Ouch," Sheik sighed. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I doubt it, unless you have some kind of potion inside of those cloaks that will heal my face _and_ my relationship with Zelda," Link muttered.

"Sorry, I'm all out of face-fixing and love potions," Sheik snickered.

"Shoot," Link growled. "I haven't seen Zelda at all today. I don't even know if she came to school . . ."

"I find it hard to believe that Zelda's tiny little hands did that much damage to your face," Sheik muttered, scratching his chin.

"Why don't you go up to her and insult her, then? I'm sure she's in a bad enough mood to put your face in the same situation as mine. Her fists are like frigging eighteen-wheel big rigs. I don't know where she stores all that raw power."

"A girl with a temper, huh? Malon can be like that sometimes too, but we've been lucky enough not to run into any major problems."

"I'd like to know why I keep getting beat up lately," Link sighed. "It's not just Ganon and Shade, but now _Zelda_ too . . ."

"You sure you haven't been doing anything to deserve it?" Sheik snickered. "Maybe it's a sign that you should start working out again. Those muscles are going to be flabby toothpicks if you don't hit the gym soon."

"Nu-uh, not while Darmani is here," Link shuddered in fear. "I'll end up with _broken_ toothpicks if I work out after school with him around. I'll wait until Darunia comes back."

Sheik gently patted Link's shoulder. "Come on, bro, there's gotta be something I can do to help you out. I can get Malon to talk to Zelda or something. Maybe I can sign Zelda up for a judo class so she can take her anger out on a few unsuspecting dummies."

"I feel sorry for the all the dummies that crossed her path," Link snickered.

_Including me_.

* * *

Zelda finally found Luna. She was at her locker, having a conversation with her boyfriend, Jacob.

"Hey Jake," Zelda said in a grim tone. "Long time no see."

"Woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" he snickered. "It's great to see you too, but I wish we could have met while you were in a better mood."

"Sorry," Zelda apologized immediately. "Yesterday was kind of rough for me. I broke up with Link." She could still feel her eyes throbbing from the non-stop crying the night before; Navi had even spent the night with Fi and Ren so that she could get some peace and quiet.

"What? But I thought you two were perfect for each other," Luna said. "What happened?"

"I caught him with Ren and Ruto," she sighed. "But he keeps insisting that they're playing around with _him_ . . . I just don't know what to believe. I guess I broke up with him so I could get everything sorted out."

"Didn't something like that happen to Uzuki?" Jacob asked.

"You know about it?" Zelda asked, completely surprised.

"Uzuki and I go way back," Jacob began to explain. "We became pals online when I became a fan of one of her online books. She's kinda nuts, but she's pretty cool, and I feel like I can talk to her about a lot of things. I remember the first day her dumbass boyfriend dumped her; she was pretty upset. The last time I heard from her was when she told me she had a new boyfriend – some guy named Peter. I don't think she has Internet right now because she hasn't been around online."

"What? I was chatting with her the other day."

"Oh? Huh. That's odd."

"We only talked for about five minutes though," Zelda finished. "I was telling her about Link and all the things that are going on right now. She said she had to go do stuff . . . raiding bars, I think."

Jacob laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like Uzuki."

"She gave me good advice, but I never got to follow up on it because of what happened yesterday," Zelda sighed in defeat. "My stupid temper always gets ahead of me . . ."

"And what's wrong with having a bit of a temper?" Luna giggled. "I'm pretty sure if Jacob did something like that to me, I would kick the shit out of him. That's why he's always honest with me."

"Yeah, cause' I'm terrified of her half the time," Jacob snickered. "Just kidding."

Luna checked her watch. "I have to go do something right quick before first class starts, alright? I'll see you later, Zelda."

"Um, you too," Zelda said.

"I hope you and Link work things out." Then she turned around and headed down the hall, leaving behind Jacob and Zelda.

When she was sure they couldn't see her anymore, Luna started to sprint down the hallway. There was only one way she could contribute to solving Zelda's problem, and that was to track down Link's twin brother, Shade. If there was anyone who knew about Ren and what was going on between her and Link, then it would be Shade.

She spotted one of Ganon's cronies. When she saw him, she knew that Ganon wouldn't be too far away. She turned the corner, and found Ganon and Shade trying to stuff a smaller high-schooler into a tuba.

"Get in there, you damn band geek!" Ganon laughed. Shade laughed along with him as they tried to fit the poor boy into the bell of the instrument.

"You!" Luna yelled. Ganon watched as she approached them, but was surprised when she went up to Shade instead. "You're Link's brother, right? I need you to help me with something!"

"Sorry, but I don't work for free," he muttered. "If you want me to pull any personal pranks on my brother, it'll cost you."

Luna cracked her knuckles. "Oh really?" Then she grabbed Shade by the collar of his shirt and started to drag him down the hallway like a bag of trash, away from the rest of his friends. She threw him into the wall.

"Alright, now talk! You've switched schools a million times – there must have been one time you were in the same school as Ren!" Luna yelled.

"Twice, actually, but who's counting?" Shade laughed. "What does it matter if I knew Ren? A lot of people know her."

"I need you to tell me everything about her."

"Sorry, but there's only so much I know. It's not like I stalk her or anything."

"Just tell me whatever you know about her!" Luna demanded.

Shade shrugged his shoulders. "And what's in it for me?"

Luna closed in on him, and grabbed his shirt collar again. "If you don't tell me, I can guarantee you that you'll never see the light of tomorrow again!"

"Threats are meaningless."

"Oh yeah? I'm a black belt in several different martial arts. If you're smart, then you won't mess around with me."

Shade swallowed; he could tell by the grip on his shirt that she meant business.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you!" he gasped. Luna released his shirt collar, setting him back down on the floor again.

"She's a single child," Shade began. "Because of her being a single child, she's really free and isn't worried about siblings clinging on to her or humiliating her. She's always switching boyfriends, and you never see her with the same guy for more than two weeks in a row. You could say she gets bored easily."

"Keep talking," Luna urged him.

"She started dating Link a few years ago. They hit it off well, but Link was soon aware of how insane she was and how she hung around a lot of guys, especially at their places. Link soon realized that she was basically cheating on him every day with several different guys – she was playing every single one of them."

"Alright."

"Ren doesn't like to be the one getting dumped, though. She's always the one to end relationships. If _she's_ the one to get dumped, she doesn't wish to have that person back – she merely tries to get her revenge on them instead."

"So that must be what Ren is doing . . ." Luna considered to herself. "She doesn't want Link back; she's just trying to get revenge on him for dumping her in the first place – by ruining his relationship with Zelda!"

"I guess," Shade muttered. "Why? What's going on with Ren, Link, and Zelda?"

"Ren is trying to sabotage Link and Zelda's relationship! Link and Zelda have already broke up!"

"What?" Shade stammered. "Ren went that far for her revenge? Man, has she sure gotten worse over the years! She used to just humiliate the guys, usually in public . . . stick bugs down their pants, and stuff like that. It seems our little witch has grown up." Then he laughed.

_But . . . how does Ruto fit into all of this?_ Luna thought curiously. _Zelda said that Link was with Ruto too . . ._ _maybe he really is cheating on her, and Ren just happened to show up when he pulled it off . . . But Link doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do that._

Luna tried not to laugh. _Oh, who am I kidding? We all thought that about Saichi, but he turned out to be the same way! _

"Thanks for the information, Shade!" Luna thanked him. "Sorry for threatening you."

Then she turned around and ran back down the hallway, just as the bell rang.

Shade scratched his head. _So, Ren is messing around with my brother huh? Geez, that girl just doesn't know when to quit . . ._

* * *

"BWAHAHAHA!"

"Don't laugh, it's not funny!"

"It's hilarious!" Mido laughed out loud, bashing his hand against his desk. Link didn't say anything. He was too perplexed to see that Zelda had arrived, and wasn't paying the least bit attention to him.

Sheik sighed. "Look, we've got a real problem on our hands, guys!" he hissed so that Zelda couldn't overhear. "Link and Zelda just broke up; they don't need you two laughing at them!"

"I'm not laughing at them!" Mido snickered. "But Link's face . . . !"

"Yes, yes, I agree, his face looks funny," Sheik growled. "But that's not the point. We need to help Link out with this, because we're his friends."

"But what do we do?" Mikau asked. "It's hard to help him out when he has all those girls breathing down his neck. Especially Ruto . . ."

"That's where you come in!" Sheik said. "Mikau, you've always slightly liked Ruto, right?"

"No, I've always had a crush on _Lulu_," he growled. "Ruto, I guess a little bit, but not so much."

"Would you go out with Ruto?"

"Uh . . . well, this is kind of sudden. If I wanted to try things out with her, then sure, maybe."

"Maybe you can at least distract her for a bit, get her out of the picture," Sheik suggested.

"Wait, so you want me to go out with Ruto just to help out Link?" Mikau questioned him. "That seems a little unfair to me."

"Only if you're comfortable with it," Sheik said. "If you really don't want to, it's fine."

Mikau thought over it for a few moments, and then sighed in defeat. "Well, I have been thinking of asking Ruto out for a while, considering Lulu seems to have a crush on Japas . . . Fine, why not. It's kind of a win-win situation for both sides."

Sheik gave Mikau the thumbs-up. "Thanks buddy. It really helps. Now we just need a way to take care of Ren."

Mikau shoved his hands into his pockets, and began to think again. "I think I know what to do about that."

* * *

"Shade, I can't believe I'm saying this, but we all need your help with something."

Shade burst into a fit of laughter. "Are you kidding me? Ha! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard! You're a little early for April Fool's Day, aren't you, Micaw?"

"It's _Mikau_," Mikau corrected him. "And I'm not joking around. We need you to do something about Ren. She's messing up everything between Link and Zelda."

"Oh, this again? Luna already came up to me about this. Apparently she's getting some kind of revenge on Link and Zelda, huh? Don't sweat it; she's like that with all her ex-boyfriends."

"She does this to _everybody_?" Mikau exclaimed.

"Not to this extent, usually. I'm a little surprised at the way she's managed to pull everything off."

Mikau sighed, and rubbed his forehead. "Look, Shade, you're a psychopath," he began. "You like to plant cherry bombs inside of toilets in the bathroom. You get a kick out of putting thumbtacks on teachers' – and students' – chairs. You've gotten kicked out of so many schools that even you have probably lost count. That's why I'm asking you, as a psychopath, to take care of another psychopath. We really need to get Ren out of the picture here, so we can get Link and Zelda back together."

Shade rubbed his neck. "Hmm . . . well, there are one of three options that you can choose from," he said. "First option: I can have a pleasant conversation with her and tell her why it's wrong to get in the middle of other people's relationships, even if one of the people happens to be your ex."

_Okay. That seems okay. Let's see if he comes up with anything better though._

"Second option: I can literally 'take care' of her, if you know what I'm saying." Then he did a suggestive wink at Mikau.

_So, what? Kill her?_

"Third option: I can just straight out kill her."

_Oh god, if killing her wasn't option number two, then it must have been . . . oh god!_

"Um, I think the first option will work out better," Mikau trembled. "We don't need you killing her, or . . . doing number two."

Shade laughed out loud. "But the other options are so much more entertaining! But I guess if it works for you guys, I can suck it up and do option number one. Where can I find Ren?"

"Probably hanging out in the lobby," Mikau suggested. "Just find her as soon as you can; I don't care if you have to tear the school apart to find her."

"Oh, so you'll let me tear the school apart, but you won't let me do option two? You're mean."

"Um . . . yeah, let's leave it at that – _I'm_ the _mean_ one."

"Sounds good to me, Boss!" Shade laughed. "I'd better get paid for doing this."

"How about half a dozen donuts?" Mikau offered.

"Make it a full dozen and a coffee, and you've got yourself a deal."

Mikau sighed. "Fine, a dozen donuts and a coffee."

_Shade on coffee . . . sweet Goddess Din._

"Alright, I have something to eat now!" Shade snickered. "I'll see ya' around, Miku! Can't wait to have those donuts!"

"It's MIKAU!" Mikau reminded him again, but Shade was already sprinting down the hallway as fast as light itself, knocking students out of the way as he ran.


	23. Hook, Line, and Sinker

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 23: Hook, Line, and Sinker**

Jacob and Luna sat together at lunch, both of them eating Caesar salads. Jake chugged down a bottle of chocolate milk, and then pulled out his binder to start working on Physics homework.

"Hey, Jake, do you think Link and Zelda will get their issues worked out?" Luna asked him, folding her hands underneath her chin. "I'm kind of worried about them. I mean, Zelda is my best friend; and Link is the first guy I've seen her with who she's been so confident about."

"Hmm . . . I dunno," Jake mumbled, keeping his eyes trained on the formulas in front of him.

"Jake," Luna growled. She knocked on the table to get his attention. "Come on, I'm really curious. Do you think there's anything we can do to help them out? I already interrogated Shade for information about Ren."

This made Jacob laugh. "_You _interrogated someone? Wow, that's kind of awesome, you know that? What did you find out?"

"Nothing that stood out too much . . . but I'm starting to wonder if Link really did cheat on Zelda."

"Why do you say that?"

"Think about it – Zelda was uncomfortable around Ren because she was Link's ex-girlfriend, and he claimed that she would try some sneaky trick to win Link back, which Zelda claimed she did. But how does Ruto fit into all of this? Zelda said she caught Link and Ruto kissing . . . was Link really cheating on Zelda and she just happened to catch them when Ren started appearing? It could have been a coincidence."

Jake sighed, and jabbed his fork into three layers of salad. He stuffed the salad into his mouth, swallowed it, and then wiped the dressing from his lips with a napkin.

"I can't really say," Jake said. "I'd be able to tell you something if I was a mind reader, but I'm not."

"I just don't know . . ." Luna sighed in defeat, holding her head with her hands and letting her head fall onto the table. "This is so confusing . . . unless . . ."

"Unless what?"

Luna had a sudden look of realization. "Maybe Ren and Ruto were working together all along! Maybe Ren tried to pair Ruto up with Link – because of Ruto being so obsessed with him, after all – in exchange for Ruto helping Ren to get her revenge on Link! That makes perfect sense!"

Jake stared at her. "But it seems a little . . . unrealistic, don't you think?"

Luna giggled at him. "Trust me, for Link's love, Ruto will do _anything_."

Mikau found Ruto in the computer lab, working on a slideshow for one of her classes. He felt a lot less eager as he approached her, and he started to regret the decision he was about to make.

_Don't sweat it, Mikau_, he told himself. _You've always kind of liked Ruto anyway . . . I mean, she's down to earth, and funny . . . and she has a ton of love to give._

Mikau sat at the computer next to Ruto. There were other people in the lab, including the reporters and editors who were typing up their articles for the weekly school paper, but other than them, the lab was sparse when it came to the number of students, and it was much calmer than usual, without the usual chattering.

"Hey, Ruto," Mikau greeted her. He just wanted to start a decent conversation with her first. "What are you working on?"

"Just a project. I have to present it to the rest of the class tomorrow afternoon. It's a real pain in the butt; I hate doing presentations."

"Same here," Mikau agreed. "So, how's your school year going?"

"Decent, I guess. I'm not failing, so I guess that's a good sign," she snickered. "I can't wait until the break though. It'll be nice to just sit back, watch some Christmas specials, and stuff my face with cookies and cake."

"Sounds like you're all set then," Mikau laughed.

"Sort of," Ruto sighed. "I don't' think I'm going to the Christmas dance this year, though."

_Hook_.

"Oh? That's odd. I thought the guys would be flying to your door, begging for you to go with them."

Ruto blushed. "No, not really. Nobody's bothered to ask me yet."

_Line_.

"Well, how would you like to go out with me?" Mikau finally asked. "You need to get some exposure to guys that aren't Link."

"W-What?" Ruto stammered. "Uh, well . . . I'll think about it."

_And sinker._

Mikau stood up from his chair. "Well, I hope the answer is yes," he said with a charming smile.

Ruto smiled back at him, and then focused her attention back on her slideshow project. Mikau smirked to himself in victory as he walked out of the lab, his hands shoved into his pockets.

_Mikau, you are a natural_, he thought to himself happily. _There is no way she'll be able to resist an invitation like that._

* * *

Shade let out a huge yawn, his dark tongue hanging out over his sharp white teeth.

"Gah, such a long day!" he yawned. He scratched his arm, and cracked his neck to the side. "Alright, checklist for the day . . . Stuff kid in tuba – check. Put whoopee cushion underneath Mr. Gaebora's chair – check. Take care of Ruto . . . ugh – not check." He stretched his arms out, cracking the bones inside them, and started to make his way down the hallway, towards the lobby. He was always noticing her hanging out with multiple guys at once in three distinct areas – in the lobby, by the smoking doors, and outside of the gymnasium. He found it interesting how there were always different guys with her every single day; there would only be a rare chance once in a while when there would be the same guy two days in a row, and even then, the rest of the guys would be different.

_Ah, well, she does get bored easily,_ Shade thought in amusement.

He found her in one shot when he went up to the lobby. She was sitting between two vending machines, on the brightly-colored blocks that had been placed neatly next to each other between the two machines. And as usual, there were three other guys with her, just chilling out and having a conversation with her.

Shade made his way to Ren. "Hey, losers, move it," he growled to the guys that were surrounding her.

"Watch it, buddy!" one of the guys snapped. "What's your problem?"

"My problem is that you guys are so desperate to hang around this girl for no extra credit," Shade sighed. "Give it up, idiots, she's not going to give you head or anything."

All the guys glared at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You're sick!"

Shade rolled his eyes at them. "Come on, guys, I may _act_ like an idiot, but I have all the same shit as my brother – I can tell what every single one of you are thinking." He pointed to the first guy. "Sex," he said. He moved his finger to the guy next to him. "Sex." Then he pointed to the last guy. "And . . . oh, what do you know? Sex. _Gay_ sex. You're that guy who's every girl's gay best friend, aren't ya?"

The third student began to panic. "Excuse me? Who do you think you are? You don't know me! I'm not gay!"

Shade observed the boy's clothing, looking at his feet first, and moving up towards his face.

"Analysis: skinny jeans, graphic tee that has a kitty shooting lasers out of its eyes, and a black fedora. Oh, and are those Nyan-cat socks?" Shade approached the guy with hostility in his eyes. He spun the guy around, and gave him a wedgie, pulling the rim of his boxers so high that the rest of them could see. "And Rainbow Dash boxers!" Shade exclaimed, a wide, lunatic smile on his face. "So not only are you gay, but you're a brony, and your favorite pony is also known to be one hundred percent _lesbian_!" He quickly released the boxers, the elastic rim snapping against the boy's skin.

"Move in traffic, guys," Shade sighed. "I'm through playing around with you. Shoo. I have to talk to your whore."

The three boys didn't dare to oppose him, and they all left for the staircase that lead upstairs, the third boy with the Rainbow Dash boxers completely red in the face from being called gay and proven it.

"Geez, the new thing now is being gay," Shade sighed as he approached Ren, the spot finally clear for him to move in. "You used to get thrown into dumpsters for being gay – now it's the one thing that makes you the shiz on the block!"

Ren started to laugh. "I guess it's hard to argue with that. Thanks for getting rid of those guys, by the way. They're annoying as hell."

"Then tell em' to piss off," Shade snickered, sitting down next to her on one of the wooden blocks that were placed next to each other between the two vending machines. "They've been degraded worse in their time."

"Like right now? You should have seen the look on that guy's face when you called him gay. You can really tell when you look at him too; and even if he's not really gay, he sure dresses like it."

"Heh, like I said, it's cool to be gay now, or to dress like you're gay, or to be_ friends _with somebody who's gay," Shade laughed.

Ren smiled at Shade, an expression of satisfaction crossing her face. "Well, well, it seems there _are _interesting guys around here."

"Ooh, are you flirting with me?" Shade snickered.

"You're Link's brother, right? I remember you from another school."

"Yep, we went to the same school for about three weeks, before I got kicked out."

"Yeah, I remember you planted some kind of bomb in the boiler room . . ." Ren pondered, thinking back to the days she had spent with Shade as a classmate.

"Oh, that was just a simple C4 bomb," Shade said proudly.

"You know, you could have killed somebody," Ren sighed. "I've seen C4 in action – it's pretty strong stuff."

Shade shrugged his shoulders.

"So you don't care if you could have killed someone?" Ren asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders again. "I got to have my fun – that's all that really matters."

Ren smiled at him. She got up from the box she was sitting on, and approached him. "Interesting guys _indeed_," she giggled as she walked around Shade, examining him like he was a test subject. She got up from behind him, and rested her chin on his shoulder. "A lot cooler than your dumbass of a boyfriend too."

"Heh, that I can agree with," Shade snickered. "But . . . you're forgetting one thing."

Shade spun around, and grabbed the collar of Ren's shirt. He paid no attention to the people that were watching him as they walked by. He glared deep into Ren's eyes, his own eyes burning with flames of hatred and revenge.

"A little birdie told me you've been messing around with his relationship with Zelda," Shade hissed.

Despite the fact she was clearly being threatened, Ren smiled anyways. "You could put it that way, yes. I call me it my own serving of revenge."

"Hmph," Shade growled. "As much as I love teasing him and pushing him into rose bushes, he's still my brother." His grip tightened on Ren's shirt. "And only _I_ get to mess around with him the way I do. If you start to do my work, well, I'm probably going to have to do something about that."

Ren brought her hand up and placed it gently on Shade's hand, where it was still gripped onto her shirt.

"I think we can make a special arrangement for that."

* * *

"Wait . . . what?" Sheik asked again, feeling a little confused as he stared at Shade. School had just been let out, and he and Shade were now standing in the lobby.

"Ren and I are officially going O-U-T," Shade spelled out happily, a huge grin on his face. "Didn't really see it coming, but I figured that she's probably good enough to handle me. Who knows – I may have trouble handling her too, if you know what I mean." He winked suggestively at Sheik.

"You didn't have to ask her out, you know," Sheik told him.

"Whatever. Works for me. It's a win-win situation," Shade said. "I get a girlfriend, and Link gets a chance to get Zelda back."

"Uh . . . okay, I guess if that's how you want things to go, then I guess I can't stop you."

"Alright!" Shade cheered. "I'm heading over to Ren's. Tell Link I said hi . . . and tell him to take a shower too."

With a content smile, Shade raced out of the school, his backpack swung over his shoulder as he pushed through the rest of the students heading to their dorm rooms.

Sheik looked around the lobby once, surveying its now-empty space, only a few students left in sight. Swinging his school bag over his shoulder, he smiled to himself as he left the school.

_Link . . . you'd better appreciate this._


	24. Begging for Forgiveness

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 24: Begging for Forgiveness**

Despite everything that was going on, Link and Zelda still tried their best to work together during guitar club. To keep his mind off her, Link spent every minute of his free time practicing "Decode", and their back-up song, "The Chain". So when he came to guitar club, he was a little further ahead than everybody else. But even though everybody was practicing on a regular basis, they were still trying to solve one problem:

Who would sing "The Chain"?

"Link, please, it would be the _biggest _help if you just sang this one time," Mikau begged him.

"Mikau, I would gladly sing if I were actually _good_ at it," Link sighed. "But I sound like fingernails getting dragged down a chalkboard."

Mikau groaned. "Well, I can sing, but "The Chain" requires two male singers and one female singer."

"Do we know anybody else who could do it for us?" Tijo asked, scratching his head with his drumstick.

Japas shrugged his shoulders in doubt. "Can't say anybody would be willing to do it. Everybody at this school listens to their freaky new gen trash. It's disgusting. I don't think anybody would know the song anyway – they don't know any songs that were written twenty years ago."

"Guys, we're forgetting the reason why we picked 'The Chain' in the first place," Link cut in. "It's just a back-up song. There shouldn't be any reason we can't play 'Decode'."

Mikau nodded. "He's right. We already know how to play 'The Chain' – let's not worry about it anymore. I few do end up having to play it, Zelda and I will sing. It won't matter if it's perfect; we just have to make sure we don't get kicked off the stage."

The rest of the club nodded in agreement.

"So, we'll tell Mr. Evans that we're ready for next week?" Tijo asked.

"Let's meet at lunch time next Tuesday and Thursday," Mikau said. "We'll play through both songs, see how they sound."

"Okay," Link said. "Have a good weekend, guys. We'll meet again on Tuesday."

"Alright, that does it!"

Sheik grabbed Link's hand, and ripped the pick right out of his hold.

"I am so sick of hearing you play that song over and over again!"

"Give it back, Sheik!" Link snapped at him.

Sheik stuffed the pick into one of his cloak pockets. "You're driving me up the wall! You need to find something else to do!"

"Sheik, please, give me back the pick," Link asked him again, holding his worn-out hand to his roommate.

Sheik gripped Link's outstretched hand, his fingers wrapping around his wrist.

"Link, look at your hands! You shouldn't be practicing this much!"

It was true. From all his endless hours of playing, his fingers had become worn out and callused. There was a blister on his ring finger, and his index and third finger were healing over with scabs from the day before, when they had started bleeding.

"What's the deal, Link?" Sheik sighed in defeat. "I know it's hard after a break-up, but you just gotta move on."

Link rested his forehead in his palms, leaning on top of his guitar.

"I'm sorry, Sheik . . . I just . . . I just don't know why it had to end like that . . ." Link cried silently into his hands.

"Really? You don't know why?" Sheik muttered; it almost seemed sarcastic. "You let your guard down, Link. You let Ren get to you again."

"I know, I know . . . !" Link cried out. "I knew that Ren coming back here would just cause us trouble!"

"You also made our own trouble by falling into her trap," Sheik added.

"I know . . ." Link repeated. "I can't stand it . . . I never wanted it to end like this . . ."

Sheik leaned against the room wall. "Link, I'm going to tell you something important. And I don't want you saying anything until I'm done talking."

Link looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Ruto is dating Mikau. And Ren is dating your brother, Shade."

Link immediately wanted to say something the moment he heard about Ruto and Mikau, but he was so shocked that he couldn't find the words to speak.

"You don't have to thank us," Sheik continued. "When I saw you the day after Zelda beat you up, I got Mikau to get Ruto out of the picture. Then Mikau told Shade what was going on. Your brother was decent enough to give you a hand by taking care of Ren for you."

_So they've been helping me out all along . . ._ Link thought. _And now that Ruto and Ren won't be bothering me . . . I can try and win Zelda back!_

Link started to scramble around his room, searching high and low for his phone. During his depressing, he had failed to do his fair share of the cleaning, so the room had become messy with clothes, dishes, and school work.

While Link was digging around, Sheik pulled out his own cellphone from one of his pockets.

"Here, use mine," Sheik grumbled. "Don't get your hopes up, though, Link – just because Ren and Ruto are finally out of your way, doesn't mean Zelda will take you back the moment you call her."

"I know," Link said confidently as he took Sheik's phone and began to type in Zelda's number. The phone rang a few times before Zelda picked up.

"Sheik?" she asked. "Um, why are you calling me? I mean, there's no reason I wouldn't enjoy talking to you, but-"

"ZELDA!" Link yelled. "I'm so sorry for everything that happened! But I swear, I've managed to fix everything!"

Sheik coughed in the background, trying to remind him that _he_ was the one – along with a few of his other friends – who solved his relationship problem. Link ignored him.

"Oh, for god's sakes," Zelda sneered. "Are you serious, Link? You couldn't call on your own phone?"

"Zelda, please, if you would just let me explain-"

"Whatever. Goodbye, Link."

The phone went silent.

"What is she saying?" Sheik asked.

"She . . . she hung up on me!" Link exclaimed, his voice a mixture of surprise and anger. He started to type in Zelda's number again. "I'll show her . . . !"

_This isn't going to end well . . ._ Sheik thought worriedly, scratching his dirty blond hair.

When Zelda answered the phone again, she was the first one to speak.

"Link, piss off!" she yelled.

"Zelda-"

She hung up again.

Link groaned in defeat. "This isn't working . . . she won't listen to me!"

Sheik walked towards him, his hand outstretched. "Here, pass me the phone."

Link handed Sheik his phone. He began to type Zelda's number in. The phone didn't finish ringing the first time before Zelda answered in a fit of maniacal rage.

"Link, I told you to piss off!" she screamed.

"Zelda, shut up for a minute, would you?" Sheik growled. Zelda went silent for a moment, realizing it was Sheik. Link watched Sheik on the phone, his hands curling into fists and his face going red. Link knew it the moment he saw Sheik's dilated pupils – he was in rage mode.

"Oh, sorry, Sheik," Zelda replied. "I thought you were-"

"Your boyfriend is trying his hardest to win you back!" Sheik cut in. "But you know what? You probably don't deserve him, you idiot! Give him a chance to explain everything before you go accusing him of things!"

"Sheik, I can't forgive him for everything he's done!"

"What has he done, Zelda? He's done nothing! It's all been Ruto and Ren! But guess what? Mikau, Shade and I have been running all over the school _all day _for you two, and we even went so far as to get rid of Ruto and Ren! Guess who they're dating now, Zelda? Go on, take a wild guess!"

Zelda went silent again. She didn't know what to say. She was a little upset with herself as well; she didn't want to hurt Link, but she wanted to get over him as fast as possible. Making him hate her seemed like the best way for her.

"Ruto is going out with Mikau right now," Sheik continued. "And Ren is going out with Link's psychotic brother, Shade! You don't have to worry about those girls anymore! And Link promises not to fall for any of their traps again!"

_I sure hope I don't_, Link thought worriedly as he continued to listen to Sheik yell over the phone at his girlfriend.

Zelda still didn't respond to any of Sheik's words.

"Zelda, I may not be able to do freaky shit when it comes to reading people like Link can, but I can still tell by your lack of response that you're considering giving Link another chance," Sheik sighed as he began to pace around the room. Link sat on the bed to give him room. "I can tell that you didn't want to end things with Link either – right now, the only person causing you grief is you."

Zelda finally responded, "I'll think about it. But I'm not guaranteeing anything. You should know me – I hate men."

Sheik laughed. "I know you do," he said. "And I don't blame you for that either."

_What are they talking about?_ Link thought curiously as he stared at the phone in Sheik's hand.

"Thanks, Sheik . . . and . . ." Zelda stopped midsentence.

"Zelda?" Sheik asked, waiting for her to reply.

"Tell Link I'm sorry," she finally said.

"Oh . . . okay."

"Bye Sheik." Then Zelda hung up the phone for the last time.

Sheik stood still for a few moments, staring at the screen of his phone until the dial tone started ringing through. He closed his phone and put it back into its place inside of his robes.

"Well? What did she say?" Link asked, his skin crawling and his heart beating with anxiety.

"She said she's sorry," Sheik said.

Link stared at him. He didn't know whether to smile or break down and cry in the corner of his room.

"Is . . . is that a good thing? Did she mean it in a good way, or a bad way?" Link asked. "Was she taking me back, or rejecting me?"

Sheik took a deep breath.

"I don't know, Link."


	25. Preparation and Freedom

**Hey guys,**

**Yeesh, I nearly scared **_**myself**_** while writing this chapter, and I've read, watched, and written a lot of creepypasta on the internet O.o A lot of you wanted an extra peek into the life of Uzuki, so most of this chapter is about her, and her life in the house that people deem to be 'haunted'. I hope I don't keep anybody else up all night with this kind of horror . . . after reading this kind of creepypasta already, I can definitely say that I couldn't go to sleep for 6 months without some kind of light source (which usually involved the television).**

**-Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 25: Preparation and Freedom **

When Tuesday rolled around, Link and the rest of the guitar club met in the music room to play through their two songs for the Christmas dance. The dance was on Saturday, at seven, and would run until eleven. Link and the guitar club were scheduled to play around eight. Since Sheik had called Zelda on the phone, Link hadn't been practicing the guitar as much as he was. After what had happened over the phone, there didn't seem to be any way for Link to keep his mind of Zelda and what she was thinking. Even when he saw her at guitar club, he found it strangely impossible to read what she was feeling. It was like she was purposely burying herself in a million different emotions so Link couldn't find out the truth.

The guitar club played through their two songs, and identified what needed to be polished up before the concert on Saturday. It was mostly just Mikau's guitar riffs, but he knew he would have it down by the time Saturday rolled around. Link had to actually stop playing through the meeting halfway because his fingers were sore. Because he hadn't been practicing as much, his fingers had extra time to heal, but that meant more blisters and more scabs, making it hard for him to play.

"That'll teach you to be an overachiever!" Mikau exclaimed as they watched Link run for the tissues again to clean the blood from his fingers.

"Gah . . ." Link hissed as he wiped the blood from his skin. "I'll just pick up some skin tape or something before the concert . . . I can't afford to drop out just because of a little flesh wound."

"Saying the word 'flesh wound' doesn't make you sound any more badass," Japas pointed out.

"Oh, you caught on to that, huh?" Link laughed. He wiped the rest of the blood from his fingers, and threw the bloody tissue into the compost. "Sorry guys, but I think I'm going to have to call it a day. I'll pick up some band-aids and skin tape before Thursday so I won't be complete deadweight for our next meeting. We'll have to give it our all then; it'll be our last practice before the concert." He caught Zelda giving him a painful look; so at least she still had pity for him. But he didn't want pity from her – he wanted forgiveness, and he wanted them to make up again.

"See you later, Link," Mikau said. "Lay off the guitar until next practice, you hear?"

"You got it," Link obeyed him. He started sucking on his fingers to make the pain go away. "See you guys again on Thursday." Then he left the music room, taking his guitar with him.

Zelda sighed when he was gone, and began to practice singing "Decode" again. The boys watched her intently as she sang.

"So, how are things going between you and Link?" Mikau finally asked for the rest of the group.

Zelda stopped singing immediately. "Fine, I guess," she answered. "We're still not back together though."

"But you wish you were," Mikau snickered.

Zelda didn't reply.

"Come on, Zel, you two had a good thing going," Mikau continued. "Did you really want to end it like that?"

"Why do people keep asking me that?" Zelda muttered angrily. "Can I go a day without you people asking me about my relationship life?"

"Snappy," Japas sighed. "We were just wondering. We're all worried about you two. You got along so well; you seemed great for each other."

"Well, I guess you guys guessed wrong about us," Zelda said. "I haven't decided what to do yet. I don't need you helping me make my decisions."

"Can't argue with that," Tijo sighed. "But just remember, Zelda, Ren and Ruto are taken care of now. They won't be harassing you or Link anymore; at least not when it comes to your relationship."

Zelda nodded. She looked at the clock, and realized that lunch was almost over.

"I'm going to head out now guys," she said. "Lunch is going to end soon, and I have to get to my locker."

"Good luck, Zel," Mikau said. "And remember, no matter what happens, we're all your friends here."

On the outside, Zelda nodded at them, and left the room without saying anything else. But on the inside, she was screaming, and tearing herself apart from the inside. Even if she left Link, she would still feel the loneliness whenever she saw his – who also counted as hers – friends.

Link finished his set of twenty push-ups, and then sat back down next to the rest of the guys who had finished their sets as well.

"Darmani's not that bad," Kafei said, stretching his arms out. "I still like Darunia better, but it's a nice change of pace. You just have to make sure you don't get on Darmani's bad side, that's all."

"Agreed," Link sighed. The horrific events that had occurred the first day Darmani showed up were still fresh in Link's mind; even his muscles throbbed with pain whenever the thought arose.

"How are you even able to do push-ups when your fingers are like that?" Kafei asked in wonder, staring at Link's beat and battered fingertips. There were a few layers of skin tape applied to each finger, but he could still see a bit of the blood.

"It's a numb feeling, really," Link said, pinching his fingertips one by one.

"Well, don't work them too hard, otherwise they'll scar and you'll have ugly fingertips for the rest of your life."

Laughing at his joke, Link continued to pick at his fingertips. It was a bad habit that was beginning to form, and he knew that if he didn't stop Kafei's premonition would probably come true.

"So, how are things going between you and Zel?" Kafei asked.

Link immediately dropped the piece of skin tape from his teeth that was still attached to his skin. "Fine, I guess," he growled. He didn't really want to be reminded of Zelda right now; his bloody fingers were just one example of how hard he had been trying to keep her mind off her.

"Mikau and Sheik have been trying their hardest to help you out, you know," Kafei said.

"I know, and I can't thank them enough for everything they've done," Link sighed happily. "Now I have even a slight chance to win Zelda back – I have a lot of faith that things are going to work out well."

"And if they don't?"

Link stared up at the ceiling. "If they don't . . . I don't know. I know that if Zelda and I are no longer together, we'll both eventually move on, but . . . I don't know if anybody else I date will be as perfect as Zelda."

"Well, we're all crossing our fingers for you two," Kafei said with a warm smile. "And we're behind you every step of the way if things don't work out."

Link smiled at Kafei. "Thanks."

"Sorry if I wasn't able to help out at all either, Link," Kafei continued.

"Nah, just talking to you is a big help," Link said. "I'll be sure to let you know what happens whenever I meet up with Zelda again."

"Okay."

"Uzuki?"

Zant continued to call Uzuki's name as he knocked on her door. He didn't want to barge in, but he knew that Uzuki didn't sleep during the day, and her motorcycle was still in her garage – not to mention the thought of her going out for a walk was just idiotic.

"Where is she . . ." Zant muttered to himself. He backed away from the door so that he could see the window on the second-floor window. "Uzuki!" he called. "Are you home?"

There was no answer.

Zant sighed, and decided it would be best just to let himself inside. He figured the door was going to be locked anyway. But when he went up to the door and grabbed the doorknob, he was shocked to see that it was unlocked.

_She must be home . . . _Zant thought. _She only locks the door when she leaves._

Zant slowly opened the screen door, and then the wood door that followed right after it, letting himself inside the two-story house.

"Uzuki?" Zant called again as he walked inside. He looked around, when he noticed a trail of blood on the floor. His heart immediately began to race, and he started to fear the worst. He swallowed down his fear, and started to follow the trail of blood. It started to lead up the stairs, so he followed the trial up to the second floor. The house was quiet, in a disturbing sort of way. Even the wood barely made a sound as he went up the stairs.

"Uzuki?" Zant called for a third time. "Are you up here?" Zant stepped off of the stairs, facing the wall. To his right was a bedroom, but the blood didn't lead in there. To his left was another door, but the blood passed it. He turned, circling the banister pole halfway, and started down the upstairs hallway. He took only a few steps before he came to another fork. When he looked to his right, he saw the second door that lead into the second bedroom. Ahead of him was the upstairs bathroom. The trail of blood lead to the bedroom to his left – he was getting a little disturbed by how many bedrooms there were – which was closed over with a wooden door, but not closed all the way.

Zant nervously walked to the door, and placed the palm of his hand on the worn-out wood. He pushed the door open and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Uzuki lying motionless on the floor, her back facing him. The trail of blood led to a pool that was growing underneath Uzuki's body.

"Uzuki!" Zant exclaimed, running to her aid. He wanted to roll her over, but he was afraid that it would cause her to bleed even more. He gently touched her shoulder. "Uzuki, wake up . . ." Zant whispered. He looked down at the pool of blood that was now soaking into the knees of his pants. He got off the floor, and ran to the bathroom, grabbing the first towel he saw and soaking it in water from the sink. He brought it back to the bedroom, and began to soak up the blood with the damp towel as best as he could.

The next thing he did was call his house. His step-mother picked up the phone.

"Hey, honey," she greeted. "What is it?"

"Clara, I found Uzuki in her house completely unconscious!" he yelled into the phone.

"What?" Clara exclaimed. "What happened? Where is she?"

"She's in the upstairs bedroom, and there's blood everywhere!" Zant explained, his voice rising in pure hysteria.

"Alright, calm down," Clara instructed him. "First, check her wrist and neck for a pulse."

He was lucky that his step-mother used to be a nurse. He leaned down and pressed two fingers against her neck. He didn't feel anything, no matter how hard he pressed.

"Nothing," Zant whispered in fear. Then he got louder, his voice cracking from all the hysteria. "There's no pulse . . . !"

Clara went silent for a moment, but then began to speak again.

"Okay. Zant, I'm going to hang up now so I can call an ambulance. I want you to do your best to keep her comfortable. Where are her wounds?"

"Uh . . ." Zant checked around Uzuki's body, and noticed that most of the blood was coming from her nose and mouth. Then he noticed the deep cuts in her belly. "She's bleeding from her nose, her mouth, and . . . she's got three huge gashes in her belly." Zant examined the wounds closer – they almost looked like they had been made by some kind of wild animal. "Clara, I have no clue what could have caused this . . . they look like somebody dragged swords through her skin."

"Stay there, Zant, and make sure she doesn't lose any more blood," Clara ordered him. "There could be a chance of saving her. I'll call an ambulance, and then I'll come over there to give you a hand."

"O-Okay," Zant stammered nervously.

"Just remember to stay calm," Clara said before hanging up.

Zant closed his phone, and put it back into his pocket. He took the towel and laid it out like a rug to soak up the blood that was beginning to be absorbed by the carpet. Then he grabbed more towels from the bathroom, and after rolling Uzuki onto her back, he took the towels and tied them around her tightly to keep pressure on the wounds she had.

"Don't you dare die on me, Uzuki," Zant growled to her as he tied the towels tightly around her wounded body. "I'll never forgive you!" He reached forward with his hand, and started to feel her neck again for a pulse, in case he had just missed it earlier. He started to whisper prayers to himself, praying to the gods that he barely believed in that Uzuki would live.

Suddenly, Uzuki's eyes burst open, revealing her deep red pupils. They immediately locked on to Zant, and before he could anticipate it, a burst of energy exploded from her body, knocking him back into the wall behind him.

Glaring at Zant with her demon-red eyes, Uzuki got to her feet, lumbering around like a wounded animal. She brought her hand down to her chest where the towels were tied around her; when she brought her hand back up, it was slightly stained with blood.

Uzuki started to laugh. It was a cruel, disturbing laugh.

"This game just never ends . . ." she snickered to herself as she stared at her bloody fingertips. "I've told him time and time again . . . I don't like to lose . . ."

"U-Uzuki?" Zant said quietly, getting up from the floor. Small bits of rubble and dust fell off his shoulders from where he had put a huge crater in the wall.

Uzuki's snapped back up to Zelda's step-brother. She smiled, revealing sharp, threatening teeth.

"Oh, Zant, you came to visit me?" she asked him with her still disturbing voice. "I'm sorry for the horrible hospitality, but you caught me in the middle of an important matter. I'm still in the middle of our game, you see."

"Y-Your . . . your game?" Zant asked. He was completely confused, but most of all, he was terrified out of his mind. "What are you talking about, Uzuki?"

Uzuki raised her foot and stomped it down into the floorboards. Zant could suddenly feel the atmosphere in the room change; it made him feel lighter, like he was in zero-gravity. As quick as it happened, the atmosphere changed again, making the room feel a lot heavier. Zant could hear the sound of shattering glass from downstairs.

Uzuki's face suddenly went pale, and she collapsed onto the ground, unconscious once again.

Zant sat there on the floor for a long while, staring at her and wondering what would happen next. Then he heard Uzuki start to speak again – she was still awake.

"Listen to the wind blow . . ." she sang. "Watch the sun rise . . ." Her singing was so quiet that if it weren't for the deadly silence, Zant wouldn't have been able to hear it.

"W-What?"

"Running in the shadows . . . damn your love, damn your lies . . ."

Zant got up from the floor, and watched her as she lay on the floor, staring at the wall while she sang to herself in a very disturbing way.

"Uzuki . . . what's happening to you?" Zant asked her. He was a little afraid to talk to her, but he had a hunch that things couldn't get any worse than they already were.

A tear ran from Uzuki's eye. A tear of blood.

Zant sidled his way around the room, trying not to get near Uzuki as she sang to herself on the floor.

He ran down the stairs as fast as he could, praying for his life that Clara would be at the house so he could get more help from her. Although, he wasn't sure how much help Clara would be at this point, considering Uzuki was clearly possessed by some kind of demon – if not, she was just mentally insane, but Zant already knew that.

When he made it downstairs, he headed straight for the door, but when he grabbed the doorknob, it wouldn't budge. He checked the locks and saw that they weren't locked; but the door still wouldn't move.

Then he suddenly got the feeling somebody was watching him. He spun around to see two people – a strange man at the end of the hall, and a possessed Uzuki standing at the top of the staircase. The man was definitely not human – he didn't even have a face – and Uzuki was just standing at the top of the stairs like a demon out of a horror movie, her head tilted to the side and her arms hanging lifelessly by her sides.

Zant took a left into the dining room, trying to escape from the horror that was Uzuki and her house. He slid under the table and began to whisper more prayers to himself, hoping that he was just having a horrible nightmare and everything was just a twisted trick of his imagination.

When he looked up, he saw that the table was gone, and had been flung to the other side of the kitchen. Plates and chairs started to fly around the room without anybody touching them, like they were being thrown by ghosts. He ran out of the kitchen and back out into the hall – thankfully, the man was gone, but Uzuki was waiting for him in the living room, standing just a few meters away. He noticed another door, so he opened it and ran inside. He realized after going inside that it wasn't the best choice – first of all, he had no idea what room he was in; and second, the room was pitch black.

The last thing he needed was to be in the dark when he had two demonic beings chasing after him.

Zant felt around with his hands and feet, and realized he was on a staircase. He pulled out his cellphone and opened it, using the light from the screen to illuminate his path. He didn't know why, but he started to walk down the staircase, occasionally opening and closing the cellphone to turn the light back on whenever it automatically turned off. He went down the stairs, more and more, until he realized that he was travelling in a circle and the spiralling stairs were going nowhere.

When he turned around, he saw that the door he had come in through was just a few steps away.

_This isn't happening . . . _Zant thought, his hands beginning to sweat. _Please, tell me this is all just a horrible nightmare . . ._

Zant finally realized that it would be smart to call Clara again and check to see if she was coming to the house. If she was, he felt it best to warn her about the horrors that lay inside. He sat down on the step, and opened his phone. He started to type in his mother's number. As he was typing it in, he happened to notice the odd change his wallpaper had made on its own. What used to be a picture of him taken on a school field trip had been changed into a strange black-and-white picture that had been morphed and distorted so much that he could barely tell what it was.

He clicked the TALK button on his phone, and waited for his mother to pick up. The dial tone played only once . . . but the sound that followed was not his step-mother's voice.

Instead, there was a loud screeching noise filled with a background of static that was so surprising and so terrifying that it caused Zant to panic, and he threw his phone away. He listened as it bounced down the stairs; eventually, the silence continued again.

Still sitting on the steps, Zant curled up into his arms and knees and closed his eyes.

He waited, and waited – waited for somebody to come to the house, waited for Uzuki and the strange man to leave, waited for a freedom that he would never be given.


	26. The Dance

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 26: The Dance**

Link fixed his tie as best as he could, staring himself down in the mirror. He had only given himself about an hour to get ready – the rest of the time had been spent doing homework, cleaning his room, and nervously practicing his guitar for the concert. Most of it was done in an attempt to keep his mind off Zelda until the concert rolled around, but he knew that once he got up on that stage with Zelda and the rest of the guitar club, all of his distractions would be rendered useless. He wouldn't have done his homework on a normal day either; even that did its job of distracting him.

But as his mind strayed back to Zelda as he got dressed for the dance, he began to worry again over what would happen between him and Zelda. He didn't even know if she was going to the dance now, but he had his own plan made that he was hoping would change her mind.

"Do I look okay? Link asked Sheik, who was taking his sweet old time to get ready.

"You look like a desperate guy trying to win his girlfriend back," Sheik muttered.

"Alright, good," Link sighed tiredly. The dance was semi-formal, so all the girls would be wearing pretty dresses – but not as grand as the prom dresses – and all of the guys would be wearing jeans, dress shirts, and loose ties. And being one of the guys, that's all Link was wearing too.

"You think they'll actually have _food_ there this time?" Sheik snickered. "I remember last year – everybody was starving by the end of it, and all they had were silly little candy canes. I don't even _like _candy canes."

"I think they're doing a 'bring-your-own-meal' thing," Link muttered. "A handful of students were assigned with bringing in food, and others could bring in something if they wanted to."

Sheik sighed. "I feel bad now," he said. "I don't have anything to bring in." He opened the mini-fridge that was sitting next to the television, and began fishing around inside for some food. He pulled out two six-packs of root beer. "Think this'll do?" he asked Link.

"You're paying to replace it," Link said. "I'll be expecting twelve more cans of root beer in that fridge by next week. I'm going to need those."

Sheik laughed, swinging the two six-packs over his shoulders like burlap sacks. "No prob, buddy."

Link pulled his jacket on, zippering it up in the front. "What's it like outside?" he asked.

Sheik pulled the blinds on their window open and checked outside. The sky was clear, but it was showing signs of change. "It's kinda grey out. It might start snowing later."

Link grabbed his winter hat from where it had been sitting untouched for the past year, and pulled it over his blond hair. "I guess it won't hurt to at least bring a hat. It can get pretty cold out there."

Sheik did the same thing, grabbing his own winter hat from where it had been sitting next to Link's.

"Alright, we've got fifteen minutes. We may as well head over now, huh?" Link said. He felt like he was stalling, but he knew he had good reasons to.

"I'll text the guys and tell them we're heading over," Sheik replied, pulling out his phone. Link turned off the room light, and then the two boys left the room, locking it behind them. Link and Sheik walked down the hallway, Sheik pressing numerous buttons on his phone as he typed up messages for the rest of the guys.

"Looks like Mido found a date," Sheik said after he had sent the message. Mido had already replied. "Turns out he's going with Saria."

"Huh," Link mumbled, staring straight ahead as they walked down the hallway.

"Mikau's going with Ruto . . . Shade's going with Ren . . . oh god."

"What?" Link asked curiously.

"Looks like Ganon is going with Nabooru."

"Ew!" Link exclaimed. "That's not even funny! Are those two serious?"

"Haha, I don't know, but I bet you ten bucks they'll be making out by the end of the dance," Sheik challenged. "I remember the guy she went with last year – they didn't know it, but everybody else was watching them make out in the back of the room. Man, was that awkward."

"That was disgusting," Link disagreed.

"But it was funny!" Sheik laughed.

Link and Sheik walked out the front doors of the boys' dorm building. The air was chilly, and they could tell that it was probably going to snow by the time they got out of the dance. Other students were already heading towards the school, all of them dressed in dress shirts and jeans. Some of the guys from their building already had their dates with them, the girls dressed in various dresses of all colors and styles. Link suddenly became curious – what was Zelda going to be wearing to the dance? If she didn't bail on them, surely she would be wearing a dress. He had never seen her in a dress before.

Link and Sheik soon ran into Mido, who had already met up with Saria. They were matching – Mido was wearing a dark green dress shirt with dark jeans, and Saria was wearing a beautiful green dress with various frills on the skirt and yellow flowers placed in spots on the ruffles. Her green hair was complimented with the hairband that had yellow flowers pushed off to the side.

"Wow, Saria, you look great!" Link exclaimed. "Green really is your color!"

"Aw, thank you, Link," Saria giggled, her face going red. "It's just an old dress of mine I found in the closet. I added the yellow flowers myself; it just added that extra 'zing'."

"Have you guys seen Mikau?" Mido asked the two boys.

They both shook their heads.

"No, but I texted him and told him we're on our way," Mido said. "He hasn't replied yet. I bet he's already there with Ruto."

"I texted the girls too," Saria said. "Alexis doesn't have a date, but that's not stopping her," she laughed. "Malon should be showing up soon, Sheik, if she isn't already there. And I'm pretty sure Zelda is already there too."

Hope began to rise in Link's chest. She was at the dance – that on its own was a good sign.

"You think this dress is pretty, wait till prom comes next year," Saria laughed. "I already know what I'm wearing, whether or not I have a date."

Mido kissed her on the cheek. "I think that can be arranged."

Saria's face turned red again. "We should get going!" she said.

"Good idea," Sheik said. "If there is really going to be food there, I'd like it if we got some before it's all gone." He showed Mido and Saria the two six-packs of root beer. "Because I doubt this'll last long on its own."

Mido and Saria both laughed. Then the four students began to head towards the school together. They soon paired up with Mikau and Kafei.

"No date, Kafei?" Link asked as they walked to the school.

"Nah, but who knows, I might get lucky," Kafei laughed. He had combed his hair back, and pulled some of it into a small braid that hung from the back of his neck.

The five students soon made it to the school. Lights illuminated the dark night sky from the building, and loud party music could be heard from inside. There was a booth outside where Fi was sitting, accepting tickets. Link and the rest of the students gave Fi their tickets.

"Is Zelda here?" Link asked her curiously.

"I apologize, but Zelda has told me to keep any information regarding her whereabouts confidential. I'm afraid I cannot tell you," Fi replied.

_Ugh, that's a bad sign . . ._ Link thought in defeat. _So, she doesn't want me to know where she is? I'll just have to find her myself then._

Fi dropped their tickets into the little dish sitting next to her elbow. "Thank you for your contribution. I hope you enjoy the dance."

"Uh . . . you too," Link muttered, and then walked past her. _Sheesh, they should have gotten a livelier person; Fi just makes me feel down in the dumps with all her formal crap._

The cafeteria was filled with energy, music blaring so loud that Link could barely hear himself think, and a light show playing across the walls of the room. Little tables were set up around the room, and the floor was littered with confetti and ribbons. Only half the party was being held in the cafeteria though – because the school was so big, people hung around the whole school, finding their own groups to hang out with, and fun activities were being held in the gymnasium. Link knew that other parties completely unattached from the school were being held in peoples' dorm rooms. If it wasn't for the fact that he wanted to find Zelda, he too would probably be having a party with him and his friends at his dorm room, chugging down root beer and staying up all night playing video games online with the rest of the online gamers.

Link soon spotted Mikau and Ruto sitting at one of the tables. They seemed to be enjoying themselves like everybody else; Link was just relieved that Ruto was finally off his back. The music that was playing in the background was clearly new generation, but Link didn't mind. There were a few songs that he liked; it was just when the weird rap songs came on that he knew he would be screwed. Or Britney Spears. For him, both of them were equally bad.

Link spent his time observing the cafeteria and how well it was set up. The light show was amazing, and the DJ appeared to be run by Fido, Medli, and Tingle. Fido and Medli were students, and always preferred DJ's, and Link knew that Tingle specialized in light shows around the world – it's what made him famous.

As he was walking around, he accidentally bumped into somebody else. It was a girl, with tan skin and brown, curly hair. She had tribal art tattoos on her arms, travelling from her wrists to her shoulders. She was wearing a black dress that she had pulled up to her waist and stuck there with safety pins, and a huge belt was strapped around her belly. Bandages were tied around her feet, and it was clear that she was wearing _extremely_ short light-green shorts underneath her dress, where it was pulled up to look more like a skirt. When he looked carefully, he saw that her face was covered in piercings – three on both sides of the bridge of her nose, two pushed off to the corner of her bottom lip, and various earrings placed in different spots. She didn't look like a student from the Academy – she didn't even look like a student for that matter.

"Whoa, sorry!" she said. "Didn't mean to bump into you."

"Uh, no, it's fine," Link replied. "Um . . . you got quite the get-up, don't you?"

"Oh, this?" the girl said, motioning her hands towards herself. "Yeah, I call it 'Matryoshka style'. Ripped it off a Vocaloid music video, and added my own alterations. The dress and tattoos are completely original though; only the piercings follow the Matryoshka fashion."

". . . Cool," Link muttered, but he didn't really know what to say about it. It was a bit more freaky than fashionable, at least to him. Then he noticed the cooler that she was holding with both hands. He was going to ask her what was in it, but she interrupted him first.

"Hey, do you know where the liquor is?" she asked.

"W-What?" Link stammered. "Uh, this is a _school_ dance. There's no liquor here. But I'm sure one of the dorm room parties would have some . . ."

"NYAHH!" she exclaimed. "No _liquor_? What the hell is wrong with the education system? Even _my_ school doesn't have any liquor! This is bullshit!"

"I'm sorry?" _So she is a student . . . yikes. She almost seems more dangerous than Shade._

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I came prepared, huh?" she snickered, patting the top of the cooler.

"There's liquor in there?" Link hissed so nobody could overhear, but it didn't seem possible anyways because the music was so loud.

"Enough to give the average person a hangover for a week," she laughed. "I'm saving most of it for a round of shot glass chess, but if I can't find any competitors, I'm just going to use it when I play some video games tonight."

_Oh, so she's a video gamer too . . . well, she kind of looks the part._

"Hey, have you seen Zel anywhere?" she asked. Her question immediately caught my attention.

"Huh? No, I haven't . . ."

"Shoot. I've gotta find her. This party's gonna be really lame if I can't at least say hi to her. I haven't seen her in _forever_."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Link asked, his curiosity at its peak.

"The name's Uzuki," she introduced herself, a wide smile growing on her face. "I came from Kakariko. I knew Zelda before she moved here. I came here because my school dance is lame and I wanted to find her so we could possibly hang out; not to mention I was invited here to do a concert too. I have no clue where Zelda is – I already asked that blue-haired chick at the ticket booth, but she's keeping her mouth shut. Boy, is she annoying."

"Well, she's going to be performing a concert around eight, so if you don't find her by then, she'll be around when the concert starts," Link explained. _This girl is going to be performing too? Good God . . ._

"Oh god, a student concert? Blech," Uzuki scoffed. "But I guess if Zelda's going to be performing, it's worth hearing . . . what's she doing? Singing?"

"Yeah. And I'm playing guitar."

"Nice. What's your name?"

"Link."

Uzuki froze.

"Link?" she asked. "Link . . ."

"W-What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Link asked her nervously.

Uzuki's grip tightened around the handle of the cooler. She lifted it up, and tried to swing it at him.

"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" she screamed. Link dodged the cooler, and began to back away from the psychotic girl.

"Whoa, calm down! What's the problem?"

Uzuki swung the cooler at him again; she just missed him by an inch, but he ducked out of the way.

"You idiot! How dare you cheat on Zelda-chan!" she yelled. "She told me all about you! You're that no-good creep!"

"Wait, Zelda told you?" Link exclaimed, dodging the cooler again.

"Of course she told me! And it doesn't matter, does it? Even if she didn't find out, I'm a fucking aura-reader – I'd be able to read it right off her damn face!"

_Wait, so she can do the same thing as me?_ Link thought as he dodged the cooler for the millionth time.

"Wait, wait, stop!" Link yelled. "Calm down! I swear I didn't cheat on Zelda! I'm trying to find her so that I can apologize to her for everything!"

Uzuki stopped moving, the cooler coming down to rest near her knees. She stared at him with intense eyes. Link could almost feel his soul being penetrated by her eyes.

"You . . . you're telling the truth," she sighed. "Gah, whatever!" she yelled. "My liquor bottles have probably cracked or something, no thanks to you! I'm out of here!" Then she turned around and left, disappearing into the crowds of students.

"Frig . . ." Link sighed to himself. "That girl . . ." He pulled himself back together, still terrified from her attacks, and then set out to try and find Zelda again. He moved his way through the crowds, keeping his eyes peeled for Zelda, but after scouring the entire cafeteria, he realized that she wasn't there. He checked his watch. It was already seven-thirty – their concert would begin in a half-hour.

"Oh, whatever," Link grumbled to himself. "I'll just get the rest of the guys so we can get ready . . . Zelda will just have to show up on her own." So Link went through the crowds to find Mikau, Japas, and Tijo. He already knew where Mikau was, so he went to the table where he and Ruto were still chatting away.

"Mikau, we start playing in twenty-five minutes," Link reminded him. "Let's go find Tijo and Japas so we can finish getting ready."

"Wait, what about Zelda? Have you found her yet?" Mikau asked.

"No, I haven't – I'm getting really worried."

"I think I saw her upstairs," Ruto said. "She was hanging out by the English A room."

"Thank god . . ." Link sighed. "Mikau, you get a hold of Japas and Tijo – I'm going to go find Zelda. Thanks, Ruto!" Link said as he spun around and ran off into the crowd of dancing students.

"You know, I think that's the first time that guy has ever thanked me," Ruto giggled. "What a jerk for only doing it once."

Mikau laughed. "Oh yeah, Link is just a bundle of jerk, isn't he?"

Link sprinted down the hallway and up the stairs, until he was in the right hallway where the English A room was located. Sure enough, he found Zelda talking to Luna and Jacob.

"There you are!" Link yelled as he approached you. "Zelda, the concert starts in fifteen minutes! We need you downstairs so we can start getting ready for our concert!"

Zelda stared at him with a tired gaze. "I know that, Link, I wasn't born yesterday."

"Well, can you come downstairs please? I've been looking for you since I got here! I ran into your psychotic friend Uzuki, and she nearly killed me with a –"

"Wait, Uzuki's here?" Zelda asked. "What's she doing here?"

"Does it matter? She nearly took my head off with a cooler!"

"Uzuki's not supposed to be hanging out with large crowds!"

"I can see why!" Link exclaimed.

"This isn't good . . ." Zelda mumbled to herself.

"I can agree with that," Luna said. "There's a reason she lives alone. I love Uzuki, but she really shouldn't be here; it's not healthy for her, or anybody else."

Zelda leaned into the locker behind her. "Ugh, whatever. I don't even care. I'll catch her before she leaves."

"Zelda," Link began. "We have to get ready for the concert. Please."

Zelda rolled her eyes at him. "Link, you realize where you stand right now, right?" she said to him. "There are so many reasons why I want to kill you; but I'm not like Uzuki, so I'm not going to."

_Yikes, so even Zelda has her murderous side . . ._ Link thought worriedly. _Well, she did beat me up after all . . ._

"Zelda, please," Link begged her, taking her hands into his. "I really can't stand it like this, the way we are. I want to fix everything."

"You're a little late for that, Link," Zelda growled. "You've already tried to fix things; and instead, you decided to make things worse."

"I swear, Zelda, I didn't want any of this to happen!" Link said. "Everything that happened was a mistake!"

"Zelda, I think you should listen to him," Luna suggested. "I interrogated Shade a while ago, and he said that Ren always liked to pull tricks on the guys that dumped her, as revenge. It would make complete sense if she tried to pull a fast one on you two."

Zelda bit her lip. "And what about Ruto?"

"Ruto is Ruto," Link and Luna both said at the same time.

"Exactly," Luna said. "Remember, Ruto's had a crush on Link since forever. It was just a coincidence that she kissed Link when Ren was here."

Zelda sighed, and shook her head, refusing to believe it.

"Come on, Zel, do I really seem like the kind of guy that would cheat?" Link said. "I'm too nice for that; even beating up Ganon puts guilt on my shoulders."

Zelda didn't reply.

_Alright, fine. Time for Plan B._

Link reached into the pocket on his shirt, pulling out the head of a red rose. He held it towards Zelda, his eyes filled with sadness and longing. Zelda stared at him in shock.

"Zelda, I completely agree with you one hundred and ten percent," Link sighed. "Men are lying, sneaky, pathetic beings. We tell horrible lies, we make moves on other girls behind our girlfriend's backs, and we're never happy with just one girl."

Zelda continued to stare at him, her eyes flickering between his face and the rose in his hand.

"But there are guys out there who try their hardest not to be like that," Link continued. "We try our hardest when we find the girl of our dreams – the girl that keeps us smiling every day and makes our lives worth living. We don't want to be like any other guy to her. We want to be the guy that she'll love for the rest of her life; so we do our best to improve ourselves so that we can deserve that girl at least a little bit . . . even though we know in our hearts we'll never be good enough for them."

Zelda could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She knew that what he was saying was true – he was unlike any of the other guys she had dated. It was because she actually meant something to him, and gave him something worth living for, worth fighting for.

Zelda hesitated for a moment. Then she let a tear fall from her eye.

"Aw, Zelda, don't cry!" Luna exclaimed.

"Don't worry," Link assured her. "She's happy." He took his thumb and wiped the tear from her cheek. "It came from her right eye first – that means she's crying in happiness."

More tears started to fall from Zelda's eyes, and she pulled Link into a tight hug. "You're such a nerd . . . !" she cried. She pulled away from him after a moment of hugging him, and wiped her tears away.

"So, are we good?" Link asked.

"Hmm . . ." Zelda pondered. She began to look around the hallway, thinking to herself. "I don't know . . ."

"Aw, come on, after a big cheesy speech like that?" Jacob snickered.

Zelda sighed. She placed her hand on top of the rose, and looked up at Link with a fragile smile.

"I guess we can give it another shot," she muttered. "But don't expect me to be crawling all over you."

Link laughed. He pulled Zelda into a tight hug, never wanting to let go.


	27. Lessons

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 27: Lessons**

Link pulled the guitar strap over his head, and squeezed his pick nervously in his sweaty hand. Mikau and Japas proceeded to ready their own guitars as well, and Tijo tapped a few drum routines on the floor with his drumsticks. Zelda took a deep breath, and began to mentally prepare herself by singing through the songs in her head, making sure she had the lyrics down.

"Man, this is kinda nerve-wracking, isn't it?" Link said nervously. He wiped his sweaty hands against his jeans.

"Don't get too scared," Zelda giggled. "Just remember that they're not going to be all watching us at once; a lot of them will just continue dancing."

"She's right," Japas agreed. "We'll just play the same way we always do."

Link nodded. "Alright. Let's go out there and show them what we're made of."

The guitar club did a victory cheer. Then they walked out of the backroom and onto the stage.

Medli grabbed a microphone. "Okay, all you boys and girls, let's give a round of applause for our very own Hyrule Academy guitar club! Tonight, they will be performing 'Decode', originally written and performed by Paramore!"

Everybody in the cafeteria cheered and clapped for them as they hooked up their guitars. Link smiled at the crowd, but his confidence was quickly crumbling on the inside. Everybody was looking at them, and chances were that they weren't going to stop even as they began playing.

Link looked at Zelda with a worried smile. She looked even more paranoid than he did. She nudged her head at him, telling him to look at the other side of the room. Link stared straight ahead, and knew immediately what Zelda was staring at. At the back of the cafeteria, Uzuki was drawing circles all over the white brick walls with black paint, crossing out each circle with an "x".

Link looked back at Zelda, and saw that she was laughing. He felt like laughing too, but he was too relieved at the chance that Uzuki could possibly draw attention away from them.

Medli skipped off the stage, leaving it open for the guitar club to perform.

And so they started to play.

Link and the rest of the guitarists played together, their notes forming music so perfect that it even gave Link chills as he played. Zelda carried the music through her voice, singing better than she ever thought she had before. And while they played, they ignored the crowd and kept their eyes on the psychotic girl who was drawing on the walls.

A few minutes later, their performance was over, and the crowd was cheering, screaming out their names. Even Uzuki had stopped to cheer for them.

_Wow . . . we did it, _Link thought happily. _We really did it._

He looked at Zelda with a huge smile, and saw that she was smiling too. He wanted to hug her, but he was in too much shock. The crowd continued to applaud, the cafeteria filling with their cheers.

Medli skipped back onto the stage with her microphone in hand. "That was the best performance I've ever heard!" she praised them with a wide, excited smile. "We think you should play another one!"

_Wait . . . what?_

"Think you can play another one, for the crowd?" Medli asked.

"Uh . . . sure," Link muttered into the microphone, a little doubtful. He looked back to his band mates; they were all struck with the same nervous and unsure look as Link.

When Medli skipped off the stage again, Link turned to Tijo, and nodded at him. Tijo got the message right away.

Tijo gripped his drumsticks in his hands, and began the drum entry of "The Chain". Link began playing the soft guitar riff at the beginning as well, and shuffled over to Zelda while he was playing.

"Psst, Zelda," he whispered. "I want you to sing the beginning, without Mikau."

"What? But we need a male singer for this song!" Zelda hissed back.

"I know . . . I don't like it, but I'm going to help you out."

"_You're _going to sing?"

" . . . Yeah, I am."

She seemed a little worried at first, but then she nodded. Link quickly ran over to Mikau, and told him the exact same thing.

"Wait, wait, _you're _going to _sing_?" Mikau choked.

"Do we really have any choice?" Link said. "I had no clue we were going to play this song; I wasn't expecting us to get an encore."

"Well, thanks buddy," Mikau sighed. "I really didn't want to sing this song at all."

Link winked at him happily, and returned to the front of the stage, just in time for Zelda to begin singing the first part of the song.

"Listen to the wind blow . . . watch the sun rise . . ." Zelda began to sing. "Running in the shadows . . . damn your love, damn your lies . . ."

When the chorus came in, Link joined in with Zelda.

The result was completely startling. Link and Zelda sang in complete harmony, their voices matching perfectly to every aspect of the song. And it just made the crowd cheer even louder. He didn't even care that he was nervous as hell to sing; all he was concerned about was making the show the best show he had every performed.

The song eventually ended, and when it did, Link suddenly felt weak, and thought he was going to faint.

"Link, I can't believe it!" Zelda exclaimed in surprise and excitement as she hurried off the stage with him. "That was amazing!"

"Ugh . . . I feel really sick now . . ." Link groaned.

"Link, you really saved us out there," Mikau said. "And you don't sound like fingernails getting dragged down a chalkboard."

"I don't care right now . . ." Link sighed as he sat down on a chair. He felt dizzy from all the nervousness and the after-shock of singing in front of almost everybody in the school. Zelda sat down next to him, and began to rub his head.

"Well, it looks like my boy can sing too," Zelda snickered. "That was amazing, Link. You should be proud of yourself."

Link smiled up at Zelda. "It was worth it. I was able to sing with you."

"And it was a wonderful experience indeed," Zelda said with a smile.

Uzuki suddenly appeared backstage, with a content smile on her face.

"Good job, you two," she said happily. "I love that song. I had no idea you were going to perform it."

"Neither did we," Link laughed.

"I feel like I owe you something for playing that song," Uzuki sighed. "After all, you did such a great job. I nearly frigging cried."

"Don't you have a performance next?" Link asked.

"Yeah, I'm playing a couple songs," she replied. "I don't think you'll like any of em' though." Then she laughed. "All the new gen stuff, you know?"

Link and Zelda both laughed.

"Zelda, I'm going to head to the bathroom," Link said. "I need to pull myself together . . . After going up on stage and singing like that, I don't think I'm ever going to be able to walk straight again."

"Don't get too sick now," Zelda giggled. When Link was gone, Zelda gave Uzuki a serious glare.

"What?" Uzuki asked nervously. "Why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?"

Zelda stepped forward. She placed her hand on Uzuki's belly, where the belt was tied around her dress.

"Mind if I . . .?" Zelda asked. Uzuki didn't say a word. She stood there and let Zelda take the belt off, lifting Uzuki's dress so that she could see the three thick gashes on her belly.

"It's . . . it's not that bad . . ." Uzuki whispered.

"Zant told me everything," Zelda sighed. "Uzuki, it's not good for you to be living in that house. You should get out of there, as soon as you-"

"I can't leave!" Uzuki yelled, grabbing Zelda's hand and jerking it away from her.

Zelda stared at her with worried eyes.

"I . . . I can't leave . . ." Uzuki began to cry, tears running down her cheeks. She released Zelda's wrist, and pulled her dress back down partially over her shorts. She took her belt and put it back around her belly again.

"I'm so sorry, Uzuki . . ." Zelda whispered. "I'm sorry you have to go through all this pain . . ."

"It's nothing, Zelda," Uzuki muttered, wiping her tears away. "Please, don't worry about me; I've been through much worse."

Zelda smiled, but it was weak, and felt forced. "Well, you did a good job in scaring the life out of Zant, that's for sure. He sleeps with a night-light now, and he always keeps the door shut. Not to mention, he won't go downstairs in the middle of the night anymore, even if he has to brush his teeth – he even gave up his midnight snack habit all at once because he's so terrified."

Uzuki sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. "Make sure you tell him I'm so sorry for what happened. And when you tell him my apology, tell him never to come to my house again unless I invite him – it's too dangerous to waltz in when we're not expecting visitors."

" . . . We?" Zelda asked.

Uzuki shook her head. "I've got a concert to do, Zelda," she said. "I hope you and Link have a good time; and I hope I don't kill everyone with my singing." Then she laughed, and walked past Zelda as if there was nothing wrong.

When Zelda got back into the cafeteria from backstage, Link was on the dance floor, watching Uzuki enter center-stage with the rest of the guitarists and dancers from Kakariko.

"How are you feeling?" Zelda asked him.

"Could be better," Link sighed. "But I think I've made it through the worst of it."

Zelda smiled, and patted his shoulder. "Are you feeling good enough to dance?" she asked.

"I'm always feeling good for that," Link snickered. He took Zelda's hands and pulled her in close.

"Helloooo, Hyrule Academy," Uzuki greeted over the microphone. "My name is Uzuki. I came here all the way from Kakariko so I could perform for you guys, so you assholes had better appreciate it. And if _any_ of you jackasses here hate Lady Gaga, I apologize, but you're going to have to go fuck yourselves – cause' I'm singing two of her songs."

"You hear that, Link?" Zelda laughed.

"Yeah . . . I guess I'll get over it for now," Link laughed.

So as Uzuki sang "You and I", Link and Zelda kept each other close, dancing away on the cafeteria floor like they were the only two people in the world. And as Uzuki sang to the guitar riffs, Link softly sang the song to Zelda, his lips just inches away from her ear. Zelda's entire body warmed up at the sound of his singing voice, and she could feel her heart fluttering every time a word left his lips.

"There's something about . . . baby, you and I . . ." Link sang into her ear, his own heart skipping a beat when he felt Zelda snuggle in closer to him as they danced.

When the song was done, Uzuki proceeded to sing "Marry the Night". Link and Zelda sat down at one of the tables to watch Uzuki and her dancers perform the song with their intricate choreography that almost perfectly resembled the dance moves from the original song.

"Ugh, I want to learn how to dance like that . . ." Zelda sighed.

"Hmm, how about this then?" Link said. "I'll teach you how to play guitar, you teach me how to fight, and Uzuki will teach you how to dance."

"Well, what will Uzuki teach you? And what will we teach Uzuki in return?" Zelda asked.

"Hmm . . ." Link pondered. "I'll . . . get her to teach me how to draw – because I've seen her artwork from Jacob and Luna; she's pretty good at what she does. And in return, I'll teach her how to dress appropriately in public," he laughed.

"Very funny," Zelda snickered, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, though. Uzuki knows how to play the flute and piano, but she's always wanted to learn how to play guitar too, so you could teach us both how to do it."

"It's a deal then," Link laughed, giving Zelda a thumbs-up. "It'll be nice to know a few pointers with how to fight in your style. I have to admit, it's a little embarrassing getting beat up all the time."

"I thought you already knew how to fight," Zelda said.

"Not the way you do," Link sighed. "All I know is basic kickboxing techniques."

"But you took down Ganon when he attacked me," Zelda reminded him. "Remember that?"

"Yeah, I do remember that. But I considered that an adrenaline rush – I can't really apply my fighting skills very well unless I'm in the middle of a rush."

"That's kind of the same with me, too," Zelda agreed. "I know the techniques and how to apply them, but I'm stronger when I'm under pressure."

Link and Zelda watched Uzuki and her dancers wrap up their second song. Uzuki got back up onto the stage, and took the microphone from Medli again.

"Alright, I know you people are getting sick of me," Uzuki laughed.

"You got that right!" a random kid from the crowd yelled.

"Shut the hell up, you little fucktard!" Uzuki yelled down at the kid. "I can see you in that crowd! Don't think I won't come after you later! I like to sneak into people's beds with knives, you know!"

"She really shouldn't be allowed to speak in public," Link snickered to Zelda.

"She didn't always used to be like that," Zelda groaned.

"Annnyyways," Uzuki continued. "I'd like to ask a special someone to come up to the stage and help me with my last song." She looked straight at Link.

_Oh god, please tell me she's looking at Zelda,_ Link thought, his pulse rising in fear.

"Come on up here, Link!" she called him over the microphone. "You're singing 'Princess of China' with me!"

_Shit! How did she know I know that song?_

"You should go up," Zelda said. "I think you would do a wonderful job singing that song."

Link looked at her, and then with a determined smile, he nodded. He made his way through the crowd, and climbed up onto the stage next to Uzuki.

"Are you ready, Link?" Uzuki asked him eagerly. She leaned in close to him, holding the mic away so the crowd couldn't hear. "This is for fucking around with Zelda's heart."

_Ah_. _Revenge. How clever. _

"Let's get started then!" Uzuki cheered into the microphone.

Link and Uzuki walked on the stage as they sang, their voices working together perfectly with the guitars and keyboard in the background. It really was a beautiful song, and Link loved it for a million reasons. And he didn't care that he had to sing on stage again – it was worth seeing Zelda smiling back at him in the crowd. He knew that singing for her made her happy; so it was completely worth it even if he didn't like to do it.

When the song was over, Link didn't feel as sick as he did before, but he still felt the butterflies in his stomach from all the nervousness of singing onstage.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Uzuki laughed, patting his back. She and Link both got off the stage, leaving the music track to Medli, Fido, and Tingle again.

The two of them walked back to the table where Zelda was waiting.

"That was amazing, Link," Zelda said to him, taking his hands into hers. "You don't sound as awful as you think."

"Eh, well . . ." Link muttered.

"Ooh, he's embarrassed," Uzuki snickered. "I can see it on his face!"

"Uzuki, can you . . . can you read emotions too?" Link asked her curiously.

"I'm an aura-reader!" she explained in a matter-of-fact kind of way, as if he was supposed to know. "Reading emotions is as easy as reading a children's book!"

"Do you notice little things that other people wouldn't normally notice?"

"Yeah. Like the fact that there's a little black thing on the ceiling that looks like it was thrown up there by some little eighth-grader?"

"I noticed that too!"

Zelda cut in. "Wait, what little black thing?"

"I'm also a pinkie-tapper," Uzuki said, completely ignoring Zelda's question.

"I've heard of that, but I've never been able to stay focused on it," Link replied.

"There are a lot of weird tricks to it that I've figured out."

"You'll have to show me sometime."

Uzuki looked up to the stage, where Medli and Fido were handling the sound system. "Play some System of a Down, you fuckers!" she yelled out over the crowd. Then she ran into the crowd, disappearing amongst the couples and dancers.

"You look beautiful, by the way," Link said to Zelda. She was wearing a short black dress, much like Uzuki's, except it didn't have the shorts underneath, and it made it past her thighs, just above her knees. Several flowers of different colors were pinned to the left side of the dress, and she was wearing high heels with multiple thin straps that travelled past her ankles. To add extra color, she was wearing a good number of multi-colored wristbands and bracelets.

"You look pretty good yourself," Zelda said back, smiling at his compliment.

The music started to slow down, and a slow song began to play. Link took Zelda's hand in his, and stood up.

"May I have this dance?" he asked her.

Zelda stood up, her hand still in his, and smiled a gentle, warm smile at him.

"Of course," she said happily. Link took her to the dance floor where the rest of the couples had embraced themselves into slow dances. Link and Zelda did the same, wrapping their arms around each other and dancing slowly around the other couples, the music playing softly in the background. Link rested his forehead on Zelda's, and they held each other close, so close that they could feel the warmth coming off of each other's bodies. Everybody in the room danced with the same rhythm as them – Shade and Ren, Sheik and Malon, Jacob and Luna, Ganon and Nabooru, Mikau and Ruto . . . even Kafei and Alexis had started to dance together.

"I love you so much, Zelda . . ." Link whispered to her. "And I'm sorry for everything that happened . . . I'm sorry . . ."

"It's okay, Link," Zelda whispered back. "Part of it was my fault for not trusting in you. I'll try harder from now on to have faith in you."

Link pulled Zelda in closer, drawing her into a tight hug. He kissed her head, and before he knew it, he felt a small tear trickle down his cheek.

"I love you so much . . ." Link said again, his voice lowered down to a weak whimper. "I thought I had lost you . . ."

"I love you too, Link . . ." Zelda whispered back, tears forming in her own eyes. She pulled away from his hug for a moment, only by a few small inches, and looked up at him with bittersweet eyes. Link stared back at her with the same expression. Their fingers locked tightly together, and as they looked into each other's eyes, they slowly moved closer, until their lips were gently placed against each other's.

Another tear ran down Link's cheek as he kissed Zelda in the middle of the dance floor, their bodies held close together and their hands clenched together without a hint of letting go. And as they danced, Link kept repeating the same three words over and over again.

"I love you."

* * *

Ren sat down with Ruto at one of the little tables. The two girls had left behind their dates for a moment so that they could speak to each other.

Ruto started the conversation with a sigh.

"So," she said. "He kinda beat us again, didn't he?"

Ren crossed her arms, and shook her head. "Don't remind me. Not only did he beat us, but he actually managed to set up dates for us. It's _disgusting._"

"You can say that again," Ruto laughed.

The girls went silent again.

Ren spoke up the first this time.

"Sucks that our plan failed though, huh? Even just to get back at Link just a little . . ."

Ruto began to tremble. "Please don't remind me about Link . . ." she whispered. "I'm having a hard enough time as it is getting over our dead relationship . . ."

Ren secretly rolled her eyes. _There never was a fucking relationship between you two, _she thought angrily. _At least I can talk about our dead relationship because we actually did go out; you're just spitting out useless words from your ass. _She started to tap her fingers anxiously against the arms of her chair. _I can't believe I was stuck working with this airhead . . . but I guess it couldn't be helped; as long as Link suffers, I'm content with working with idiots. I just have to make sure they don't get to my head. _

Ren smiled to herself in mere satisfaction and amusement.

_Of course they won't get to my head. They're idiots. _


	28. The Hunt for Uzuki

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 28: The Hunt for Uzuki**

Link didn't wake up until eleven. He wouldn't have gotten up either, if it weren't for Sheik and the man knocking on the door.

"Get the door, Link!" Sheik called out to him from the bathroom.

"I'm tired – you get it!" Link yelled, his face smothered into his pillow.

Sheik came out of the bathroom half-dressed, wearing ripped jeans and no shirt, with a towel draped over his shoulders for his shower-wet hair.

"Lazy ass . . ." Sheik grumbled as he passed by Link's bed, heading towards the door. He pulled the door open to be greeted by a tall man with short black-brown hair, a goatee, and sideburns.

"Uh . . . hi?" Sheik greeted him.

"Who is it?" Link called from his bed.

"Hey," the man said. "Uh, you didn't happen to run into a tan girl with curly brown hair and tattoos, did you?"

Sheik shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know _anybody_ who looks like that. Is she a student here?"

"No, she's from Kakariko. She came here to perform at last night's dance, but I haven't heard from her, and she hasn't been answering my calls. Her name is Uzuki."

Link lifted his head from his pillow at the mention of Uzuki's name. He jumped out of the bed and ran towards the man at the door.

"You're looking for Uzuki?" Link asked.

"You know her?" the man asked worriedly.

"Yeah, she's a friend of my girlfriend's," Link answered. "I ran into her at the dance too."

"Do you know where she could be?" The man's expression grew more paranoid.

"Um, no . . ." Link said, scratching his head. "But Zelda might know." He grabbed his cellphone from his jacket and started dialling Zelda's phone number. Link waited for Zelda to pick up, while the man nervously tapped his fingers together.

"Hello?" Zelda finally answered.

"Zelda, do you know where Uzuki is?" Link asked immediately.

"What? No, but I saw her leave with a few other students last night," she replied. "Do you want me to call her?"

"Nah, a big side-burned guy who just showed up at our room already tried that," Link sighed. "He's the one who's looking for her."

"Oh, that's probably Peter. Well, we can search the dorm rooms, if you want. I can't imagine people will be leaving today; a lot of them are too sick from their hangovers." Then she laughed. "Knowing Uzuki, she's probably got a hangover too."

"We should meet outside, in front of the school," Link said. "Sheik and Peter will be with me."

"Okay. I'll be there in five minutes."

"Same here."

They said their goodbyes, and then hung up their phones.

"We're going to meet up in front of the school," Link told Sheik and Peter. "Peter, what rooms have you checked already?"

Peter thought for a moment. "Hmm . . . well, I kind of just started from the first room and worked my way upstairs."

"We're on the third floor," Sheik said. "So there are only a few rooms left to check."

Peter nodded.

Link and Sheik both grabbed their jackets and shoes. They threw on their outdoor clothes, and then left the room, locking the door behind them. The three boys walked quickly down the hall, making their way to the next room.

"I'll handle this one," Link said at the door. "You two go to different rooms; we'll cover more ground that way."

Sheik and Peter nodded, and walked ahead, heading to their own rooms to check for Uzuki.

Link knocked on the wooden door. A tired, grumpy-looking student answered it.

"What do you want?" he sneered.

"Have you seen Uzuki anywhere?" Link asked. "She's dark, with curly brown hair, and-"

"Look, buddy, I don't give a shit," the student snapped angrily.

He proceeded to shut the door, but Link stuck his foot out, stopping the door in its place. He forcefully pushed it back open with his hand.

"Listen, fuckface," Link growled, his temper starting to ignite like a bomb. "A friend of ours is missing, and we have to find her before she cuts someone's throat open. I don't care if your girlfriend dumped you last night – she wasn't good for you anyway."

The student glared at him with eyes that Link could still see sadness in. "Who do you think you are – Dr. Phil? And how do you know about me and Sera?"

"I noticed you two last night, at the dance," Link began. "You were trying to hide it from the people around you, but I could still tell your heart had been broken; I saw it in your eyes. If you ask me, she should have dumped you _before_ the dance – at least then you could have found someone better to go with, instead of wasting your time dancing with her."

The boy stopped. The sadness in his eyes suddenly became clearer, and he hung his head down in shame.

"Now, have you seen Uzuki or not?" Link asked again.

The boy looked back up at him. "Well . . . I saw a girl like that last night, while I was leaving the dance. She was carrying a cooler around with her, and she seemed to be talking to someone, but . . ." He trailed off.

"But . . . ?" Link said, trying to get him to continue.

"I . . . I never saw anybody else walking with her," the boy finished. "And it didn't seem like she was talking to herself either."

Link stared into space, thinking over the boy's explanation.

_Talking to an imaginary friend, huh?_ Link thought. _Hmm . . ._

"What were some of the things she said?" Link asked curiously.

"Uh . . ." The student started to rub his neck, trying to remember. "She said a lot of weird things, like, "Shut your mouth, asshole" and, "Why don't we play a game of hide-and-go-fuck-yourself?"."

Link tried not to laugh, but in his head, he admitted that her words were pretty funny.

"Do you know which direction she was headed in?" Link asked his second question.

"Um . . . I think she was headed in the direction of the girls' dorm house," he answered.

"Okay," Link said. "Thanks." He was about to leave, but the boy stopped him.

"Uh . . . I'm sorry for snapping at you, and, um . . . good luck. I hope you find her."

Link smiled at him. "No problem. Good luck to you too – I hope you find someone who's actually worth your time." Link stopped for a moment. "Oh, and a little word of advice . . . Don't be afraid to speak about what you believe in. If you strongly believe in something, you should just go ahead and say it; don't be afraid of what other people will think."

The boy stared at him. "You know, I think that's why Sera broke up with me . . . I guess I can second-guess myself with my words sometimes . . ."

"Just be you," Link said with a smile. "Girls don't like guys who don't stick to their integrity."

"You got it!" the boy said happily. Keeping the determined smile on his face, the boy said goodbye, and closed the door.

Link ran down the hall to meet back up with Sheik and Peter; the two of them were finishing up with the last two rooms.

"Has curly hair tan skin, and tribal art tattoos?" Sheik described to one student.

"Kind of short, ugly tattoos that have no meaning . . . gigantic tits?" Peter said to the other student.

They both said no, and shut their doors.

"No luck?" Link asked them.

"No," Sheik and Peter said together.

_Why hasn't anybody seen her? _Link thought worriedly. _She was painting on the walls yesterday! How could anyone miss that?_

"It doesn't make a lot fo sense to me," Link sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I mean, she even performed a concert last night; why wouldn't anybody know her?"

"Well, there were a few who knew her by appearances," Peter said. "Whoever did know just didn't know where she went."

Sheik checked the time on his cellphone. "We should go meet up with Zelda; it wouldn't be nice of us to keep her waiting."

"Yeah, let's head out," Link agreed.

* * *

When the three boys made it to the school, Zelda was sitting on one of the concrete blocks that lined the sides of the walkway leading to the doors. She was talking on her cellphone. The air was cold outside, enough that Link could see his breath leave his mouth. A fresh blanket of snow had fallen during the night, and the sun was bright in the morning sky.

When the boys made it to Zelda, she was finishing up her phone conversation.

"Yeah, I'll call you back with the plans when I get everything worked out," she said. "Love you too. Bye."

"Who was that?" Link asked after Zelda hung up the phone.

"Oh, just my mom," Zelda replied. "She wanted to know how the dance went; she also wanted to know when I'd come home to visit."

"Oh. I see," Link said. "Do you have any leads on Uzuki?"

"Only a few girls I've talked to this morning are familiar with her, but they don't know where she went," Zelda answered. "I even asked Mom if she went back to Kakariko – Uzuki lives a few houses down the road from us – but she said that Uzuki's motorcycle isn't in her garage; she also laughed and said that if Uzuki _did _come back, the whole neighbourhood would know."

"Peter, why don't you try calling her again?" Sheik suggested.

Peter pulled out his cellphone and started to type in Uzuki's number. He held the phone to his ear, waiting for her to pick up.

"Is she answering?" Zelda asked.

"There isn't even a dial tone," Peter said, holding the phone away from his ear. He turned the phone's volume to speaker so that everybody else could hear. Link he said, there wasn't a dial tone – instead there was an unclear noise made of snow and static.

"That's weird," Link muttered. "Is her phone broken or something?"

"That doesn't explain why there's no dial tone," Sheik argued.

"I really hope Uzuki is-"

Peter couldn't finish his sentence. From the static on the phone, a high-pitched, ear-shattering screech had erupted. It was deadly, and so painfully loud that it almost made Link throw up.

Peter shut his phone before the scream could get any louder, and dropped it onto the pavement. Everybody slowly backed away from the cursed device.

"That was a little scary . . ." Sheik said quietly, his body trembling in fear.

"A _little_?" Zelda nearly cried, her body shaking even more than Sheik's.

Peter slowly edged his way towards his phone, and picked it up as if it were fragile and would break at the slightest touch.

"I think it's fine . . ." Peter sighed. He opened his phone; everything was normal. "But I'm not calling her now, that's for sure."

"Should we try calling someone else, to see if it's your phone?" Sheik suggested.

"Uh . . . I'm too scared to," Peter snickered. "I think we should just be safe and say that we shouldn't use my phone; or call Uzuki for that matter."

Link stretched his arms out. "Well, we may as well finish searching through the dorm rooms. We just finished the boys' house, so if there are any rooms left to check in the girls', we can check those."

"I doubt we'll find her in the girls' house," Peter muttered. "It's not like Uzuki to hang out with girls only after a party; there probably aren't any girls here who would dare to play shot glass chess."

"Oh yeah, I remember her saying something about that . . ." Link mused to himself. "Wait a minute . . . guys, I think I might know where she is."

"What?" Peter exclaimed, getting paranoid again. "Where? Where?"

"Who do we know is a trouble-maker and enjoys breaking the rules?" Link asked the group. "A bit of a rebel, with a sense of mischief, and doesn't care if he gets drunk?"

"Oh god, you're not talking about Ganon and Shade, are you?" Zelda cried out in shock. "There's no way Uzuki would hang out with those two idiots!"

Peter shoved his hands into his pockets, and shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno, what kind of guys are they?"

"Shade is the stereotypical troublemaker," Link sighed. "And Ganon is the top jock – all brawn and no brains."

Peter sighed in defeat, shaking his head. "Uzuki hangs out with anybody who she thinks she can have a fun time with, even if she hates their guts – it's just that illusion she passes on people."

"She sounds like a real traitor," Sheik said.

"Even I don't trust her one hundred percent of the time," Zelda muttered.

"Oh, it's not that," Peter objected. "She never breaks her word with people – if she makes a promise, she keeps it. But she likes to play around with people's heads. It's a kind of game she likes to play."

"Why didn't you check Ganon's while you were over at the boy's dorms?" Zelda asked.

"Why _would_ we?" Link objected. "I guess I just figured Ganon would have better things to do than hang around Uzuki."

"Well, we should check with them, just in case," Peter said.

Zelda, Link and Sheik all nodded in agreement, and then they turned around and headed back for the boy's dorm house. They entered the building, and walked up to the third floor, where Ganon's dorm room was just a few doors away. The hallways were starting to get a bit busier. Students were starting to leave their dorm rooms to head to their usual spots where they hung out for the weekend; some would be going to visit family, others would go to their friends' dorm rooms, and others would be taking a walk to shake off their alcohol headache.

* * *

Link and his friends stopped in front of Ganon's door.

"You know things are wrong when I'm knocking on Ganon's door," Link sighed as he lifted his hand and knocked on the door. A few moments passed with no response; Link knocked on the door again. Finally, someone opened the door, but it wasn't Ganon; it was his roommate.

"What?" he asked. Then he noticed who it was. "What the hell are you doing here, Kokiri?" he growled; his voice had an edge of anger and hatred to it. Link could tell that he was one of the students suffering from an awful hangover; he could see it on his tired and stressed face.

"Is Uzuki here?" he asked. "A girl with tan skin, tattoos, piercings, and curly brown hair?"

The boy opened the door further, revealing Uzuki and Ganon, the both of them keeled over on a small table, a chess board lying underneath them. Shot glasses were spread everywhere, and the smell of hard liquor was in the air.

"Uzuki!" Peter exclaimed. Pushing past Ganon's roommate, he rushed into the room to Uzuki's aid.

"She showed up here last night looking for a game of shot glass chess," the boy muttered. "They sure held their liquor for a while, but they eventually just passed out at the same time."

Peter tried to shake Uzuki awake, but she wouldn't budge.

"Is Shade here too?" Link asked, looking around the room for his twin brother.

The boy pointed his thumb to the bathroom. "He's in there, throwing his guts up."

"It smells disgusting in here . . ." Zelda scoffed as she got to her knees and tried to help Peter wake Uzuki.

Shade finally emerged from the bathroom, the smell of alcohol and vomit floating around him like thick smog.

"Oh, hey little brother," he laughed at Link. "What brings you here?"

"I'm here to get Uzuki," Link muttered angrily as he stared at his older brother's disgusting state. He could smell the vomit coming off Shade's breath from ten feet away.

"She's with you?" Shade asked. "Man, can that chick sure handle her liquor. She played two rounds of shot glass chess with me and Ganon, and she didn't go down until she was halfway through the third round.

Peter lifted up Uzuki, draping her body over his arms.

"I guess you were right about her being here," Sheik told Link.

As Peter was walking away with Uzuki in his arms, Ganon started to stir.

"Oh shit, he's waking up!" Link hissed. "We'd better get out of here before he sees us!"

Link, Sheik, Zelda, and Peter hurried out of the room, making it out to the end of the hallway before Ganon could open his eyes.

"Ugh . . ." Ganon groaned. "I've got such a headache . . ." He began to look around, and saw that Shade and his roommate were both looking at him. Then he noticed that Uzuki was gone. "Where's Uzuki?" he asked. "Did she leave already?"

"Sorta . . ." his roommate muttered.

"The magical fairies came and took her to a wonderful place," Shade sang.

"Wait . . . what?"

Ganon's roommate brought a glass of water to him. "Here, buddy. This'll help you clear your head."

Shade looked around the destroyed room as Ganon chugged down the water. "They could have at least stayed to help us clean up the place . . ."

"What do you mean, 'they'?" Ganon asked suspiciously.

"Oh yeah, the magical fairies that I mentioned earlier? Yeah, they were Link, Sheik, Zelda, and some other guy with sideburns; I'm guessing the guy with the sideburns was her boyfriend or something."

"LINK WAS IN MY ROOM?" Ganon shouted. "I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"Calm down, King Kong, they were only picking up Uzuki," Shade sneered.

"But . . . I wanted to play another round of shot glass chess with Uzuki!" Ganon whined.

"I think you've had enough alcohol," his roommate growled. "For all we know, you and Shade could have alcohol poisoning. I'd take it easy if I were you."

"SHUT UP!" Ganon yelled. He picked up a chair and threw it at his roommate.

" . . . Then again, I could be wrong."

* * *

Link and Zelda walked together through the snow, both of them tired with boredom. Peter had left for Kakariko, taking Uzuki with him, so all the excitement had died down all at once.

Zelda eventually spoke up to break the wall of silence between them.

"So, um, my mom called me, and she was asking me if I wanted to invite you to our annual Christmas party," she said.

Link smiled. "Party? Sounds like fun to me."

Zelda smiled back. "I figured you'd want to come. You'll get to meet my step-siblings too. I'm sure you'll like Zant; although, he can be a bit of a handful sometimes. But you can talk video games with him." Zelda stopped for a minute. "I have to warn you though; you might want to be a bit careful around him."

"Why?"

"He had a bit of a . . . traumatic experience at Uzuki's house," she said. "Or so my mother tells me. She said she found him in the basement, sitting on the stairs, having a meltdown. So if you talk to him, just talk slow; mom says his mind's been a little off since the incident."

"Well, if it happened at Uzuki's house, I can't blame him for getting scared at whatever it was," Link snickered. "But I wonder what it was?"

"Midna told me she tried asking him, but every time she asked he would get really angry and wouldn't say anything about it – even the police couldn't get anything out of him."

"What was Zant doing over at Uzuki's house in the first place?"

"Zant and Uzuki are good friends," Zelda began to explain. "Mom said that Zant went over to visit her and he found her bloody and unconscious body in the upstairs bedroom. She had called an ambulance, but by the time she got there, she said that Uzuki was awake and feeling fine and Zant was crying in the basement."

"Hmm . . ." Link muttered, thinking over Zelda's words. "Do you mind if we look into this a bit more when I come over?"

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, but don't push it – I may not like him all that much, but I don't want Zant to have any more meltdowns."

"Don't worry, I'll try not to upset him," Link assured her. "So, when's your family's party?"

"On Monday," she said. "Kakariko is a bit of a drive away though. It takes at least a day to get there."

Link thought for a moment. "Hmm, how about I take you to meet my uncle Blake?" Link asked. "He's been dying to meet you. He lives in the city, not too far from here. If you want, we could hang out with him and then I could just drive us to Kakariko. I don't have any reason to have my car at school, so I left it at Blake's – but I want to check on it, you know?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Oh boy, you want to check on your car, huh?"

"Trust me, she's a real beauty," Link said with a wink. "And I'm not lying when I say that."

Zelda laughed. "Alright, if you say so."


	29. Old Cars and Relived Memories

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 29: Old Cars and Relived Memories**

"My beautiful car! I'm so glad to see you again! I thought this day would never come!"

Blake and Zelda watched as Link caressed his red Mercedes.

"Wow, he wasn't kidding when he said his car was nice," Zelda muttered. "That's a nice model he's got there; I don't need to know anything about cars to know that his car is a keeper."

"Yeah, but good luck trying to pry him away from it," Blake snickered. "Now that he's seen it, he's never going to want to leave. You may as well just give up any plans of going to Kakariko."

Zelda laughed at his words. "It's really nice to finally meet you, Blake. Link's told me a lot about you."

"Same goes for you," Blake muttered, playing with a toothpick between his teeth. "I heard that Irwin is your dad."

Zelda sighed. "Yep. Link tells me you and Irwin have a bit of a history."

"I beat him up a bit back when we were in high school," Blake said in an almost proud way. "I was a jock, he was a nerd – it was as simple as that. Can't say I envy him for the life he has now either. Runs a company, right? Boring. It may not be the best life, but I enjoy sitting around carving statues for people."

"You sell statues?"

"Little carvings here and there, and rocks with engravings in them," Blake sighed. "Nothing you'd be into. I'm lucky enough to have a few customers that like my work."

"That's nice."

"Office jobs are boring, if you ask me. I mean, who wants to sit in a cubicle in front of a computer all day while your boss tells you what to do? Well, I guess your dad doesn't have a boss, but even so, he's gotta be surrounded by a bunch of idiots. At least with my job, I can work around in my underwear – I don't even have to bother getting dressed."

Zelda laughed again. "Can't beat that, I guess."

Blake and Zelda continued to watch Link swoon over his car.

"Hey, Link, are you gonna finish up your man-gasms over that car or are you going to come inside for some food?"

"Just a few more minutes . . ." Link whined as he stroked the hood of his car.

"You want anything to eat?" Blake asked Zelda. "I'm sure I can find something that you'd like."

"Sure," Zelda said.

Blake smiled back at her. Then he approached Link, and wrapped his arms around Link's waist from behind.

"Come on, you've had enough of the car!" he yelled, trying to pull Link away.

"NO!" Link yelled back, gripping his fingers onto the edges of the hood. "DON'T TAKE US AWAY FROM EACH OTHER! I'LL NEVER LET GO!"

"This is getting ridiculous, Link!" Blake exclaimed. He drove his two index fingers into Link's neck, sending a shock through his nerves to settle him down, and then he grabbed Link by the ear and began to drag him to the door that lead to the house.

He turned to Zelda, Link's ear still held tightly in his hand. He opened the door, and motioned for her to go through. "Come on, Zelda, get inside!" he urged her. Zelda quickly past him, heading up the small set of stairs that lead inside the house. Blake dragged Link up the stairs, and threw him into the kitchen.

"You're a monster . . . !" Link hissed. "Separating me and my car from each other after we haven't seen each other for so long? Cruel beyond belief!"

Blake hit Link over the head with the palm of his hand. "Calm down. You'll get to drive her soon enough. Besides, you're not going anywhere with her without the keys." He reached into his pockets and pulled out the single key that was attached to a black string, waving it teasingly in Link's gaze. Then he pulled it over his head and tucked it underneath his shirt, like a necklace. Link stared at the spot where the key was underneath Blake's shirt. Blake shoved his palm into Link's forehead, knocking him back into reality.

"Don't get any ideas," Blake grumbled. "I'm watching you, boy."

Link sighed and walked into the kitchen, his head held down low, and sat down at the table with Zelda.

"Separated from your love again, huh?" Zelda giggled.

"Of course not," he sighed. "I have you; at least I have that." Then he smiled, and shook his head. "Nah, I'm kidding."

Zelda laughed back. "I know, I know."

Zant hit the ENTER button on the computer monitor, sending out another email.

_I can't believe she's making me do this . . . _Zant thought to himself angrily. _It's one thing to make me have to help set up the stupid tables and decorations . . . but sending out the invitations is taking it a few steps too far._

Midna strolled into the room, watching Zant as he sent another email off to one of his parents' friends.

"Aww, is Clara making you send out invites?" Midna giggled.

Zant spun around in his chair. "Who said you could come in my room? Get out!"

"Calm down, King Kong, I was just stopping in to see what you were doing. Dad and Clara want me to keep an extra eye on you, especially after what happened at Uzuki's house."

Zant sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you, I got over it?"

"Mmm-hmm . . . then that means you've also gotten over the nightmares that have been keeping you awake at night and the way you jump every time a door opens or closes?"

Zant didn't say anything. He turned around to face his computer again, leaving Midna to stare at his back.

"Look, Zant, I'm not saying I don't believe you," Midna sighed.

"Of course you don't believe me," Zant mumbled. "No one does. But I know what I saw."

"I know Uzuki is a little bit off. I never saw what happened in that house, but I can imagine what happened to you wasn't all that pleasant."

Zant went silent again. Then he got up out of his chair, and reached for his bag where it was sitting on his dresser drawer. He started searching through his computer desk drawers, and found what he was looking for – a video camera.

"What are you doing?" Midna asked him cautiously as he scrambled around the room, looking for random things and stuffing them into his bag.

"Going over to Uzuki's," Zant mumbled.

"What? Zant, you're staying here!"

"Finish those emails for me, would you?" Zant said as he walked to his open door. "Oh, and don't tell Dad or Clara!" Then he ran out the door, his bag bouncing off his back.

With a tired sigh, Midna shook her head, and sat down in Zant's computer chair.

"What an idiot . . ."

"DON'T TOUCH IT!"

"Quiet down, Link, you're making me nervous!"

Zelda slowly removed the wooden block from the Jenga tower. The tower wobbled a little, but it managed to stay up.

"Sweet merciful crap!" Blake exclaimed, letting out his tension through a heavy sigh.

"I told you I'm good at this game," Zelda said as she proceeded to gently place the block back on top of the tower. "Although Link sure seems to like pissing his pants over it."

"Hey, I take this game very seriously!" Link argued.

Zelda laughed. "Alright, your turn, Blake."

Blake stared at the tower for a few moments, and then quickly reached for a block. He slid it out of the tower with ease, and then placed it on top of the tower without breaking a sweat.

"There, see? Pants are clean, and I didn't scream," Blake sighed. "Your turn, you big baby."

Link observed the Jenga tower very carefully, his eyes narrowing and his forehead creasing with concentration.

A few moments passed. Finally, he lifted his hand and tried to budge one block out. Very carefully, he pushed it out to the other side, and pulled it out. Then he set it on top of the tower.

Link let out his breath.

"Augh, that was close!" he puffed.

"Okay, seriously?" Blake muttered. He lifted his hand and smacked the tower, knocking all the blocks to the floor in a heap. Link let out a yelp.

"What was that for?" Link exclaimed.

"You need to get a life. Why don't you and Zelda go watch a movie or something? I have to go run a quick errand."

"Oh? Okay," Link said. "When do you think you'll be back?"

"Hmm, probably in an hour or so," Blake answered. "My movie collection is in the cupboards around the TV. Plenty of stuff to choose from, so you shouldn't get too bored."

"Alright. Thanks."

Blake grabbed his jacket and put on his boots, and then went down into the garage. Link could hear his uncle's car starting, and then fade off into the distance as it drove away.

Zelda sighed. "What now, then? We could watch a movie."

Link got up from the table and headed towards the theatre system Blake had set up. He opened one of the cupboards – it was stuffed to the brim with DVD's and VHS tapes.

"What kind of movies do you like, Zel? He's got all kinds of stuff here," Link called to her.

"Anything funny?"

"Hmm . . . yeah, tons of comedies. A few documentaries too. And action movies, if you're up for those."

Zelda got up from the table and walked over to Link. "Hmm, put on something funny. I'm not really in the mood for people getting their heads blown off."

Link laughed. "Can't argue with that, I guess."

Zant heavily knocked his hand on Uzuki's door. After a few moments of waiting, the door opened, revealing a very tired-looking Uzuki.

"What is it?" she asked. Then she noticed the camera he was holding in her face. ". . . What the hell are you doing with that camera?"

"Nothing," Zant replied.

"You're not stepping in my house with that camera, Zant. What are you doing here anyway? I never thought I'd see you on my front doorstep again after what happened. I've been put under house arrest for a week because of you, you know! Now the cops are onto me more than ever!"

"I-I'm sorry," Zant said. "But I want to help you, Uzuki. Look, if we can just catch whatever's in your house on camera, I'm sure we could-"

"Go away!" Uzuki snapped, and slammed the door in his face.

Zant continued to stand there, the camera held up with a picture of the door.

"Come on, Uzuki, I just want to help!" Zant begged, knocking on the door again.

"I said go away!"

Zant sighed, and shook his head in defeat.

_I guess she leaves me no choice then . . ._ he thought. He turned away from the door, and immediately spotted the tree that was growing near the house. One of the branches wasn't too far from one of the upstairs windows, a window that happened to be open.

Zant ran over to the tree, and stared up to the very top from where he was standing at the bottom. He wasn't a very good climber, but he knew that now was the chance to learn. He tied his camera to his belt, the film still running, and he began to scale the tree. He pulled himself upwards by grabbing onto the multiple branches, and eventually made it to the branch he had been looking at with no trouble at all.

Zant carefully crawled along the branch, closer to the window. He slowly stood up, his body wobbling, and then he made a final leap for the windowpane. He landed right on the pane, his hands gripping the wood for dear life. He kicked his legs around as they hung downwards toward the ground, the toes of his boots scraping against the wood panelling. He carefully lifted himself up further, until his fingers made it far enough to make it easier for him to climb.

Uzuki showed up in the window, a frown on her tan-skinned face.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" she growled. She grabbed the window from above and smashed it down onto Zant's fingertips.

Zant screamed in pain, and fell from the second-floor, all the way to the ground. He stuck his fingers into his mouth and began sucking on them, trying to ease the pain.

_Son of a . . . ! I'm not giving up!_

Zant tried to think of another way to get in that wouldn't hurt his fingers or any other part of his body. He scanned the house, walking around it and looking for any extra entrances. Then he spotted the small window that was peeking out from behind a bush – it was one of those windows that had a view from the basement.

_It's a little extreme, but extreme situations call for extreme measures!_

Zant kicked in the basement window, shattering it, and crawled through with little trouble. He landed on the cement floor, next to a shelf that held paint cans of various colors and brands. Surrounding him were canvases, some blank, others stained with pools of color, often drawn in a violent and erratic way.

_Huh. So this is what's in Uzuki's basement when her stairs aren't playing tricks on me_, Zant thought, feeling a little triumphed at what he had found. Zant walked around, being sure to capture all the paintings on his video camera, as well as anything else that seemed out of the ordinary. It was dark in the basement, but luckily his camera had a light on it to help him see better.

When he turned on the light, he noticed the black markings that were on the wall across from him, close to the spiralling stairs. They looked like tic marks, almost as if Uzuki had been counting something. When he got closer, he started to notice that the black paint didn't look like paint at all.

It looked more like blood.

"I told you not to come in here!"

Zant shot his gaze up to Uzuki, who was at the top of the stairwell.

"U-Uzuki!" Zant stammered. "I swear, I'm not trying to cause any trouble, I'm just-!"

"Sneaking into my house isn't trying to cause trouble?" Uzuki laughed. "Please, Zant, you're not talking yourself out of this one!"

Zant's hand tightened around his hand-held camera. He swallowed in fear, and began to back away from the psychotic girl.

"Uzuki, you have a problem," Zant said calmly, trying to coax her into a sense of serenity so she wouldn't kill him. "It's not healthy for you to be living in this house all alone. You need to get some help."

Uzuki flung a knife at him from out of nowhere. He managed to dodge it, but only before panicking with a yelp from the top of his lungs.

"Uzuki!" he screamed. "Look at you! I thought we were friends! This is what living alone in a house like this is doing to you!"

"Shut the hell up, Zant! Don't even think for a second that you understand me, because you don't!" Uzuki argued.

"Uzuki, calm down," Zant hushed her. "Just listen to me for a second. I know you don't want to leave here, but-"

"I _can't_ leave, Zant, don't you understand?" Uzuki yelled. "I would have left a long time ago if it wasn't for . . . !"

". . . For?" Zant urged her to continue.

Uzuki didn't say another word. She immediately regretted saying anything about her 'problem' in the first place.

"Zant, if you know what's right for you, you'll leave before things get bad," Uzuki calmly warned him. "I don't want you to get hurt again, and most of all, I don't want you to get killed."

There was silence between the two teenagers, the camera in Zant's hand still recording film.

"Uzuki . . ." Zant began, but he couldn't find the words to speak.

"Don't try to coax me out of anything," Uzuki hissed. "Trust me; this is for your own good. Just turn off the camera, and leave before things get out of hand."

"And what about you?" Zant suddenly yelled. "I'm worried about you, Uzuki; that's why I'm here! It's not safe for you in this house!"

Uzuki sighed, and sat down on the concrete floor of her basement. "You're an idiot . . ." she growled to her friend. "Putting your own life in danger for pathetic old me? I hate it when you people do that . . ."

"Uzuki, you're like my best friend," Zant said softly. "You're one of the only people I know who I can speak freely to – I don't have a lot of friends like you."

"You have bad taste then," Uzuki sneered.

"I dunno, you seem to be a pretty good friend," Zant chuckled. "I want to help you though, no matter what stakes are at hand."

"Please," Uzuki growled. "You don't even believe half of what's going on right now."

"Why shouldn't I? I was trapped in your basement for what felt like _hours_. I saw a few things I probably shouldn't have. I thought you were dead – you sure looked it." Zant smiled at Uzuki in determination. "I made it through all that though, all so I could help my best friend – so what do you say?"

Uzuki stared at him grimly. "I'm still not leaving this house. I can't really walk out of the house right now – something's keeping me pinned down – but I can at least try to find some way out, instead of just sitting around letting _him_ push me around."

"Who was that guy anyway?" Zant asked curiously as Uzuki got up from the floor. She turned around and started to head for the stairs that lead to the main floor of her house.

"Oh . . . nobody special," she muttered.

She smiled psychotically to herself, a tiny tentacle lashing out from between her grinning teeth.


	30. That's Such a Stupid Name!

**Well, sorry it took so long. I was doing so well in updating chapters quickly, but eventually the writing side of my brain kind of just . . . shut down, so I've had an extreme amount of writer's block, especially with this chapter. But I got it up! And the next part of the story will be quite . . . humorous indeed (at least, I find it that way X3). I've also been filling my time with lots of RP'ing and stuff on the ZU forums, so I've been enjoying and making myself busy with that :) But I haven't forgotten OCL! :D Also, this chapter is a bit longer than usual, so hopefully it will keep you all occupied until I can finish the next chapter :3 Please R&R!  
**

**-Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 30: That's Such a Stupid Name!**

"How's my baby doing? Did you miss me? I missed yoouu!"

Zelda watched as Link kissed the hood of his red Mercedes.

"Do you really have to kiss it like that?" Zelda asked him, starting to feel a little annoyed.

"Of course," Link sighed as he laid on his belly on the hood, stroking its sheen, painted metal with his hands. "But it sucks that I have to leave her hear all alone while I'm at school."

"You wouldn't use it at school anyway," Zelda sighed. "You only leave campus when we go out. Besides, would you really want to keep your car at school with Ganon, Ren, and Shade around?"

Horrific thoughts of the Mercedes being destroyed by Link's worst enemies came into his mind. He shuddered at the scary visions.

"Maybe you're right . . ." Link said in fear.

Link's uncle Blake entered the garage. His blond hair was tied back into a small ponytail, and he had a toothpick clenched between his teeth.

"It's been a year and he's still pissing his pants over that car," Blake laughed. "Next thing you know, he'll be having a sexual relationship with it!"

"Shut up," Link growled at Blake and Zelda, who were both laughing at him as he stroked his car.

"Are you going to leave anytime soon?" Blake asked. "Or are we just gonna stand here and watch you reunite with your lost love?"

"Of course not," Link said. He grabbed the handle of the passenger door and held it open for Zelda. She got in the car, sitting comfortably in the leather seat. Link got into the driver's seat. He grabbed his sunglasses and placed them on his head.

Blake tossed him the car keys. "Be careful on the roads, kiddo."

"No prob," Link assured him. He turned the keys in the ignition, and the car's engine came to life, its engine soft like a cat's purr.

"She still sounds like an angel!" Link exclaimed happily at the sound of the engine.

Blake rolled his eyes. "Have fun, you two," he sighed as he turned around and left the garage through the house door.

"Alright, Kakariko, here we come," Link said as he put the car in drive. Then he pulled out of the garage, and drove out onto the main road.

"Do you have any music?" Zelda asked.

"Uh . . . I should . . ." Link muttered, looking around the car. "Check in the compartment between the seats."

Zelda found the compartment that was wedged between the arms of their seats. She opened it, revealing a handful of CD albums.

"That's only a small fraction of my collection," Link snickered as Zelda went through them.

"Fleetwood Mac . . . Fleetwood Mac . . . Fleetwood Mac . . ." Zelda checked each CD. "Oh, look at this . . . ! Fleetwood Mac."

". . . I have a lot of Fleetwood Mac," Link muttered.

"No duh. Some of these CD's are fifty years old! How did you get these?"

"They re-released some of their old records on CD's, for the fans," Link explained. "Most of them are just 'Greatest Hits' albums."

Zelda continued to root through his CD's. "Nickleback . . . Down with Webster . . . Five Finger Death Punch . . . Simple Plan . . . The Gorillaz . . . Adele?"

"What's Adele doing in there?" Link asked. "I never bought any of her CD's."

"Unless . . . you don't think it's Blake's, do you? I'm not trying to be sexist or anything, but . . ." She opened the case. A picture of Blake and another girl fell out. She showed the photo to Link.

"Well, well, it looks like my uncle has a girlfriend!" Link laughed. "And . . . for some reason . . . she's kinda hot."

"For some reason?" Zelda snickered. "What, is your uncle not allowed to date pretty girls?"

"Pfft, goodness no," Link laughed.

"Wow, seems like you love him an awful lot, huh?"

"Yep, to the very end," Link muttered. "Just saving him the heartbreak."

"You're cruel . . ."

Link laughed. "Oh, but you stay with me anyways."

"Hrm . . ."

"Right?"

Zelda playfully ignored him.

"Zel . . . ?"

Zelda started to laugh as well. "I'm joking, Link!" she giggled. "Don't worry so much about it!"

Link let out a sigh of relief. "Phew, I was a little worried there," he breathed. "Don't scare me like that – especially when I'm driving!"

"I'll be sure to be more weary of that next time," Zelda said.

* * *

Link stopped the car on a dirt path, near a large hill where the moon could be seen in the starry night sky. It was a beautiful, curved crescent moon, and the sky was so filled with stars that Link thought they would touch him at any moment.

Link guided Zelda up the hill, a blanket in hand in case it got cold.

"Why did you bring me here?" Zelda asked curiously.

"Oh, why not?" Link snickered. "It's a beautiful view, and I figured you would like it."

"It is pretty beautiful . . ." Zelda said in awe as she stared up at the moon above, her blue eyes twinkling with the stars.

Link and Zelda sat down on top of the hill, wrapping themselves up in the blanket. Zelda snuggled into Link, her skin warm against his.

"This is nice . . ." Zelda said quietly. "I like to just sit here with you, without a worry in the world . . ."

"Yeah . . . same here . . ." Link agreed, staring up at the sky with Zelda.

Eventually, his hand found hers under the blanket, and their fingers intertwined. Zelda snuggled in closer to Link, not wanting to lose any of the heat that was coming off him, and not wanting to lose a precious second of the time she was enjoying with him. Link kept his left arm wrapped around her, and his right hand entwined with hers.

Zelda looked up, and smiled at Link.

"I love you, Link," she said peacefully.

Link smiled back. "I love you too."

The two slowly moved forward, until their lips met gently. They kissed each other softly under the moonlight, their bodies moving in closer, and their hands roaming each other's bodies. Link caressed Zelda's face, and she caressed his, her hands locked behind his neck, pulling him in even closer. Link gently traced her lips with his tongue, and soon their kiss grew in passion, their skin heating from the closeness and their hearts racing from the ecstasy. Link's hands began to roam her body, softly skimming her neck, her hair, and her arms. Link took his lips away from her for a moment so that he could lower his gaze and begin to kiss her neck. He could feel her quick, excited pulse through his lips, and her skin heating with each passing second.

Link gently set her on the ground so that he was on top of her, his body getting even closer. A moan escaped Zelda's lips – music to Link's ears. He caressed her body with his hands, his cool skin rubbing against her warm body. He moved his lips down to her neck again, kissing it gently and dragging his tongue along her flesh. Another moan came out from Zelda.

And even though he knew it wasn't in Zelda's best interests, he wanted to go further. He wanted to experience the feeling of having her naked body pressed against his, the feeling of making love to her.

Link stopped himself before he got too excited.

"S-Sorry," he apologized to Zelda, wiping the excess saliva from his lips from when he was kissing and licking her neck.

"What?" Zelda asked, feeling a little confused.

"It's just . . . I know you're not really into any heavy stuff and I . . . well, I don't want to take it too far," he said, rubbing his legs nervously. "I'm just . . . sorry."

Zelda scooted over to him, still remaining in her sitting position, and smiled at him. She gently stroked his cheek with her soft hand.

"It's alright, Link," she replied. "It's . . . it's okay. I trust you."

Link looked at her with hopeful eyes. "You do?"

"Of course I do," she giggled. "Why wouldn't I? I love you, Link."

Link sighed. "I know . . . I know, but . . . I just don't want to mess up anything with you . . . everything between us . . ."

Zelda let out a brief laugh and pulled Link into a hug. "Hey, don't worry about it!" she said happily. "Link, I love you, and I trust you more than anyone I've ever known." She balanced her forehead against his, sharing heat. "I trust you . . ."

Link pulled her into another deep kiss, but it only lasted a few moments before Link pulled away again. Then he pushed her back onto the ground again.

"Zelda, I love you so much . . ." he whispered to her, his voice causing Zelda's heart to flutter and skip a few beats.

Zelda smiled at him, and began stroking her fingers through his sandy-blond hair. "I love you too, Link."

Link looked at her with longing in his eyes, and swallowed down his fears. While stroking her face with his fingertips and staying in close to her, with his forehead placed against hers, he said, "Zelda, I want to make love to you."

Zelda stared back at him, and then smiled. "I know . . . I want you to too."

A wide smile crossed Link's face. "Really? Zelda, that's-"

"But not here."

"Hmm?"

Zelda brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "I don't want to do it here. I want it to be special."

Link nodded, the wide grin still on his face. "I understand. That's completely fine. I want it to be special too." He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. "I love you so much, Zelda!" he exclaimed, and gave her the biggest hug known to mankind.

Zelda kept her own arms wrapped around him tightly as well, not regretting her choice one bit.

* * *

Zelda woke up on the couch in Blake's house, Link making breakfast with his uncle in the kitchen. They were harassing each other again, pulling each other's hair and throwing bits of food at each other, making a complete mess of the place.

Zelda got up from the couch, still wearing her clothes from the night before – she was so tired that she had crashed on the couch instead of going to the guest room that Blake had prepared for her.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Blake chuckled when Zelda walked into the kitchen area.

"Morning," Zelda yawned.

"Have a good sleep?" Link asked as he fried three eggs in a frying pan on the propane stove.

"Yeah, I did," Zelda said dreamily, still rubbing her eyes.

"So you two are going to truck out of here in a couple hours, huh?" Blake asked Link.

"We're probably going to leave around one or two," Link said to his uncle.

Zelda looked at the clock. It was eleven o'clock – she had slept in for the first time in a long while. Which meant she had a couple hours to call her parents and let them know she was coming – with Link – and use any extra time after her parents' overall freak-out to take a shower, get dressed into nicer clothes, and scoff down breakfast.

"I should call my parents and let them know what the plan is," Zelda told Link before turning to his uncle. "Do you mind?"

"Phone is right here," Blake said, holding up the portable house phone for Zelda to have. Zelda took it and began dialling her parents' phone number.

She waited three rings before her mother answered.

"Hello? Who is this?"

Zelda smiled at the sound of her mother's voice. "It's me, mom. Zelda."

"Oh, Zelda! Where are you calling from? I didn't recognize the caller ID."

"I'm here with Link, at his uncle's place in Castle Town. We're heading over to Kakariko today to visit you and Irwin."

"That's wonderful! I can't wait to meet Link; you've told me so much about him. He's being nice to you, right?"

"Of course, he's very polite." She looked over at Link, who was staring at her and the phone in her hand very intently, probably hoping for some form of good news.

"That's good. Irwin still needs some . . . convincing, of course."

"Obviously," Zelda sighed. "How is everyone else doing? Is Zant feeling better?"

"He seems a little bit better, although still a little on edge. I'm sure once you come home he'll feel a bit better."

"Oh yes, because he absolutely loves me," she snickered.

Her mother laughed. "Hey, he does miss you sometimes."

"Misses being an asshole to me every day."

"Don't be like that, Zel, he may not be related by blood but he's still your brother."

"I know, I know. I try my hardest to get along with him."

"Well, he needs a bit of extra help in his life right now, even from his stepsister."

Zelda sighed. "I know. I admit I am kind of worried about him. And Uzuki too."

"That poor girl . . . everybody treats her so differently, but even she doesn't really know what's going on right now. At least, that's what Zant has been telling me."

"Well, Zant and Uzuki seem to be getting along well. They both need someone to rely on right now."

"Exactly. Anyway, I'm probably getting you all depressed with this talk about Zant and Uzuki. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great, Mom."

"That's good. What time do you think you'll be here?"

"We're leaving around one or so," Zelda answered, checking the clock on the wall again. "It's about a three hour drive, so we should be there around four."

"Plenty of time for me to clean the house," her mother laughed.

"Mom, the house is always clean," Zelda giggled. "Don't worry about it."

"Well, we're having the Christmas party too, dear. We have to make sure everything is clean and tidy for when our guests arrive. Is Link going to attend?"

"Of course he is. He said he'd love to come."

"Then we'll try our best to make him feel at home here. Hopefully Irwin doesn't do anything too . . . drastic."

Zelda smiled. "That would be an understatement."

"Oh, sweetie, he just cares about you."

Zelda sighed again at the thought of her stepfather. "Whatever. I'll see you when I get there, alright?"

"Alright. Have a safe drive."

"Bye."

Zelda hung up the phone and placed it on the kitchen counter. "So, what's for breakfast?" she asked curiously.

"Eggs, bacon, and toast," Link replied as he grabbed some of the slices of toast that had popped from the toaster and put them on a plate, ready for buttering.

"Sounds delicious," Zelda said. "I can't remember the last time I had a breakfast like this."

"Better get used to it, I love to cook," Blake snickered. "And Link's pretty handy in the kitchen too."

"Eh, I get around," Link muttered.

When it was all done cooking, Link, Blake, and Zelda sat down at the table for a full meal of sizzling bacon, fried eggs, and perfectly-cooked toast.

"This is great," Zelda said with a smile.

"Ah, a compliment," Blake said triumphantly. "Last time I got a compliment for my cooking was probably six months ago when Shade came to the house to tell me he got kicked out of another school – not really the warm nephew welcome I was expecting."

"I was surprised when I found out Link had a twin brother," Zelda said.

"Triplet," Blake corrected.

Zelda stared at him. "I'm sorry?"

"Blake, don't you dare!" Link tried to stop him.

"Link is a triplet, not a twin," Blake said. "You didn't know that? Huh, that's a pretty sturdy relationship if he's not even bothering to tell you about his brothers."

"Oh god . . ." Link said sickly, leaning back into his chair and covering over his eyes with his hand.

Zelda stared wide-eyed at Link. "You're a _triplet_? There are _three_ of you?"

"Yes, that's very kind of you, Zel," Link sighed.

"I didn't mean it like that, but . . . _three_?"

Blake burst into laughter. "Yep, and Link's the baby!"

Zelda began to laugh too. "This is too funny!"

"Shut it, Zel, it's not funny," Link groaned.

Zelda patted his shoulder. "I'm not laughing at you, Link, it's just . . . why wouldn't you tell me about this? I was surprised to see you had a twin, but . . . a triplet? Really? What's the other one's name?"

"I don't want to talk about it . . ."

"Come on, tell me his name!"

Link let out a long, tired sigh. ". . . Oni. His name is Oni."

Zelda burst out into more laughter.

"What now?" Link snapped.

"Oni!"

"What about it?"

"That's such a stupid name!"

Blake laughed as well. "Hey, his dad came up with it, so blame him!" he chuckled.

"Shade and Oni! Those are such stupid names!"

Both Blake and Zelda laughed over the kitchen table, Link sinking further into his chair in embarrassment. He wanted to go dig a deep hole and die in it.

"Link, I'm sorry . . ." Zelda said, trying not to laugh. She wiped a tear away. "I promise, I'm not laughing at you . . . it just caught me off guard, that's all."

"Sure," Link growled.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Zelda repeated, a bit more serious this time. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "But I have one question."

"What?" Link grumbled, still feeling completely humiliated.

"Who came up with the names?"

Blake raised his hand to catch her attention so he could answer the question. "Ah, that would be Link's dad. He's kind of oblivious when it comes to naming his kids. Link was lucky enough to be named by his mother."

"I can tell the difference," Zelda giggled. "You're lucky you got the sensible name. So will I ever get to meet this 'Oni'?"

"No," Link growled. "Meeting Shade was bad enough. You don't need to meet the other one."

"Is Oni the oldest?"

"Yep," Blake answered. "Oni is the oldest, Shade is the middle child, and Link is the youngest – the baby."

"Stop calling me that," Link hissed.

"So are there any other siblings I should know about? Now that Blake's here, I'm sure he could correct you if you're lying," Zelda muttered, a hint of laughter still in her voice.

"Nope, no others," Blake answered. "Just the triplets."

"Thank god," Link muttered under his breath.

"Link, I'm not going to hold anything against you for it," Zelda said to him. "I have two siblings too – a stepsister and a stepbrother – so I know how you feel."

"Please, stepsiblings aren't the same," Link replied. "Besides, you're not going to school with them."

"Oni doesn't go to the Academy, does he?"

"No, he's already graduated. He's in university now," Link replied.

"Ah well, I'm sure none of them could get worse than Zant."

Link gave her a look of doubt. "Has Zant gotten kicked out of over ten schools?"

Zelda bit her lip. "Well, no, but . . . he's still annoying, so I understand the 'annoying sibling' part of it."

Link rolled his eyes and got up from his chair. "Whatever." Then he left, heading for the bathroom.

Zelda looked at Blake. "You don't think I upset him, do you?"

"Ah, don't worry about it," Blake chuckled. "Link is kind of a baby that way. He'll come to. Besides, he knows you mean well. He just doesn't like it when his name is in the same sentence as his brothers'."

"He doesn't seem to like them all that much."

"Well, he _is_ the baby, after all. He has a lot to live up to. As far as the world is concerned, he's going to end up being a troublemaker like Shade, getting kicked out of every school he's ever been to, or he's going to be a top-notch, straight-A student like Oni."

"I think Link is kind of a mixture of both," Zelda answered. "I mean, he's smart, and very talented, but he also has that rebel side to him that I've definitely seen more than once."

"Hmm, Link probably just doesn't see that. He's got a lot of stress on him from his brothers. Just try not to ask too much about em', alright?"

Zelda nodded. "Sure thing, Blake."

Blake stood up and grabbed the dishes, heading for the sink to wash them out.

"Also, Zel . . ." Blake began. "You mean a lot to him. He doesn't want to screw anything up with you."

Zelda smiled. "I know. I like him for him – he doesn't have to try to be like any of his brothers."

"And that's all that matters, sweetheart."

* * *

Link and Zelda drove down the highway, moving their way through the low amount of traffic. Link's Mercedes was very quiet on the paved road, allowing them to listen to the Fleetwood Mac CD play through the stereos. Zelda was very relaxed – she always loved driving, but it seemed to feel so much more relaxing when she was driving with Link. She just let her head lay back into the leather chair, her hair blowing in the wind, the sun shining on her face, and listened to the relaxing blues-rock music playing from the CD player.

"So, Zel, if you don't mind me asking, what's your step-dad like?" Link asked worriedly, turning down the stereo a little so he could hear better.

Zelda removed the sunglasses from over her eyes. "Ah, well, he's . . ."

"That's not good," Link chuckled.

Zelda laughed. "Let me finish. He's a little . . . okay, a _lot_ overprotective. He has two kids already – Zant and Midna – and he barely lets them out of his sight half the time. Mom said she fell in love with him because he's a really 'nice fellow' and very 'understanding', but half the time he just tells me that I could be doing better. It's almost as if he expects me to become the President or something. Nothing's ever good enough for him, or for me."

"Ah, I see," Link muttered. "That kind of stinks, but my dad is kind of like that too . . . he always wants me to strive to be my very best."

"Trust me, your dad probably isn't as bad as Irwin," Zelda grumbled.

"Oh really? You sound so confident."

Zelda scowled at him. "Your dad didn't try to split us up."

Link stopped. ". . . I guess you're right about that one."

"Mmhmm," Zelda chuckled, pushing her sunglasses back over her eyes and leaning back into her chair. "Why? Nervous about meeting him?"

"Well, duh," Link growled. "I mean, this is the guy that – like you said – didn't want us dating. I highly doubt he's going to take to me well."

"Just be yourself," Zelda sighed. "Mom already likes you. Don't worry about Irwin – he's not even my real dad."

Link didn't really want to ask, but he was curious. ". . . Where is your real dad?"

Zelda didn't respond for a few moments.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked . . ."

"It's fine," Zelda said. "He died."

"Oh . . . I'm so sorry."

"Thanks, but it's okay," Zelda replied. "He died when I was a child."

Link didn't say anything more. He understood full well what it was like to lose a parent. After all, he had also lost one – his mother, years and years ago. But he didn't want to make her sad by worsening the conversation, so he didn't say a word about it.

"There, the house with the red roof."

Link pulled his Mercedes into the driveway, parking in front of the fairly-large white house with the dark red roof. It was in a nice neighborhood, and the front lawn was decorated with rose and lilac bushes. Her mother must have liked to garden.

Link got out of the car and helped Zelda grab her suitcase, which was filled with clothes for her stay at her parents' home.

"Don't worry about Irwin," Zelda reminded him.

"I know, I know . . ." Link sighed, preparing himself for his introduction – he didn't want to make a fool of himself, but he feared his nervousness would cause him to trip up.

Suddenly, a loud screech came out from one of the rose bushes – it nearly made Link jump out of his skin.

A black cat with bright green eyes came leaping out of the bushes, its puffy black tail arched up above it. It bared its teeth specifically at Link.

"Tia, bad cat!" Zelda yelled, swinging her suitcase at the feline. The cat leaped out of the way, and then jumped back into the bushes.

"What the hell was that?" Link exclaimed.

"Irwin's cat," Zelda sighed. "Sorry I didn't mention her earlier. I'm pretty sure the cat's previous owner was Satan – she doesn't deal with strangers very well."

"I can tell!" Link gasped, his heart still racing from the sudden scare.

Zelda knocked on the front door, and then opened it, stepping inside with Link not far behind. Zelda's mother walked out to the porch to greet them.

"Zelda!" her mother exclaimed, holding her arms out for her daughter. They hugged tightly before her mother turned to Link.

"Hi," Link greeted her as kindly as he could. He held his hand out to shake hers, but instead she pulled him into a hug as well.

"It's so nice to meet you, Link!" she exclaimed with a wide smile. "I've heard so much about you!"

"Uh . . . thanks," Link muttered.

"My name is Clara," she said, pulling away from the hug.

"Link," Link said.

"Oh, I know," she giggled. "Zelda's told us lots of stories."

Link blushed. Clara grabbed one of Zelda's suitcases.

"Come on in, make yourself at home."

Link and Zelda followed Clara into the hallway, which split off into three directions – to the left was a kitchen-dining area, to the right was the living room, and straight head, slightly to the left, were stairs that lead to the second floor. Past the stairs was another door that looked like it led to the backyard.

Clara took Link and Zelda into the kitchen, where a man wearing a dress shirt and dress pants was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper. He had short black hair that looked like he spent a lot of time brushing, and a strict-looking face. He drank from a mug filled with coffee as he read the paper.

"Irwin, say hello to our guest," Clara said happily.

Irwin glanced up from his paper to look at Link. "Mmm. 'Evening."

"This is Link, the boy Zelda's been telling us so much about," Clara giggled. "Come on, go introduce yourself."

Irwin set his paper and coffee down and got up from the table, walking over to Link.

"P-Pleased to meet you, sir," Link stammered nervously, his face beginning to heat up and his palms beginning to sweat.

"You too," he mumbled, not showing much interest in the current conversation. "I'm Irwin, Zelda's step-father."

"I'm Link . . . Zelda's, uh . . . boyfriend," Link replied, trying not to stress the word 'boyfriend' too much – he knew the fathers of dating women didn't like the word 'boyfriend' much.

"You're treating Zelda well?" Irwin immediately asked.

"Of course," Link said, feeling a little offended now.

"Mmhmm," he grumbled, and then went back to the kitchen table to resume his newspaper-reading.

Clara smiled at Link. "Don't mind him," she whispered. "He's just worried about Zelda, that's all."

Link nodded.

"So, where's Midna?" Zelda asked her mother.

"Oh, she's with Xavier," she answered. "But she should be back soon – she knew you were coming today, after all, and she didn't want to miss you."

"She's still dating Xavier, huh?"

Clara smiled. "Yes, and Xavier is still the same as always."

Zelda smiled back. "That's good to hear."

"Well, why don't you show Link around?" Clara suggested. "You can also take your bags up to your room and unpack."

Zelda grabbed one suitcase, and Link grabbed the other. They both proceeded to take the suitcases upstairs to the second floor. Zelda guided Link to the bedroom that was right ahead of the end of the staircase, to the right. She opened the bedroom door, stepped inside, and placed her suitcase on the cleanly-made bed. Then she let out a sigh and flopped down onto her back.

"Ugh, my family drives me nuts . . ." she giggled.

Link smiled and sat down next to her. "Ah well, what's a family gathering without a bit of drama? I can assure you my family's a lot worse."

"Your family is _cool_. I mean, you're a _triplet_-" She stopped. "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have said anything."

"Nah, you know the truth now, so there's no point in trying to hide it."

"I think you're lucky to have siblings," Zelda said.

"Why do you say that? You have siblings too."

"_Step_-siblings."

"I don't really see the difference. They're a part of your life, aren't they? In my opinion, family isn't connected by blood – they're connected by their own emotions and feelings for each other."

"You think so?"

"Well, like I said, that's in my opinion."

"I think you're right." Zelda took Link's hand and kissed it.

Link leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Zelda's lips.

Zelda smiled. "Come on, let's get back downstairs before Irwin starts getting suspicious."

Link laughed. "After you."


	31. All in the Family

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 31: All in the Family**

"So tell me, Link, what are your marks at the moment?"

Link nervously tapped his fingers against his knee underneath the kitchen table. Zelda calmed him by placing her hand over his.

"Uh, well, I'm not a straight-A student, but I have been on the honor roll for the past three years," Link replied as calmly as he could.

". . . Doesn't that mean you get all A's?"

"You don't need to be a straight-A student to get on the honor roll, dear," Clara spoke before taking a bite of her meatloaf.

"Oh. I see."

Link tried to calm his nerves by taking a sip from his iced tea, but Irwin began to ask the questions again.

"What courses are you currently taking?"

Link swallowed his cold drink before answering, "A little bit of everything. Math, English, Gym, Biology . . ."

"Link's the fastest on the track team," Zelda cut in, trying to lighten the situation at the dinner table. "He also plays lead guitar in the guitar club; he's really good."

"Oh yes, you were telling me about that," Clara said.

"Tijo is in the guitar club too, isn't he?" Midna asked – she had returned home about a half-hour earlier.

"You know Tijo?"

"We're old pen pals," Midna said. "He's a pretty cool guy."

"Yeah, he's a great drummer too," Link chuckled; thanks to Midna, Irwin's petrifying hold on him was beginning to wear off.

Clara set her fork down and looked at Midna. "Sweetheart, could you try to get a hold of Zant? He was supposed to be home hours ago."

Midna pulled out her cellphone.

"No cellphones at the dinner table," Irwin snapped.

Midna gave him a look of disgust. "Which do you prefer – your table manners or the well-being of your only son?" she sneered.

_She's pretty bold_, Link thought.

Irwin didn't say anything. Midna began dialling Zant's phone number.

She waited a few moments, the phone on speaker, until the receiver finally picked up on Zant's phone.

"Hello? Zant, are you there?"

There was nothing but static.

"Zant?"

More static.

"Hellooo?"

The static began to get louder. Suddenly, out of the growing static, a high-pitched noise began to emerge, getting louder and louder until it was a horrific scream exploding from the phone's tiny speakers.

Midna dropped the phone in shock. She leaned over to close it, cutting off the awful noise. Then she carefully picked it up and placed it back into her pocket.

"Well, that was scary," Midna muttered as she averted her attention back to her dinner plate.

Just as Link and Zelda's family were about to start eating their dinner again, Midna's phone began to ring insider her pocket. She hesitated at first, but eventually answered it. There was a bit of static, but Zant's voice came through.

"Sorry I didn't answer the phone earlier," he panted; it sounded like he was running. "I was kind of, um . . . busy."

"Zant, where are you?" You're supposed to be home right now. Link is here."

"Oh, is he? Well, I can't wait to meet him! Tell him I said hi!"

Link could hear him, so he replied, "Hi, Zant. Running a marathon, are we?"

"Oh, you're soo funny," Zant said. "I'll give you a sample of my own humor when I get back to the house."

They heard a faint scream in the background.

"Oops, gotta go help out Uzuki," Zant laughed. "See you later."

"Zant? What's wrong with Uzuki? Zant!"

But he had already hung up.

Midna stared at her cellphone, a blank but worried expression on her face. Finally, she closed her phone and put it back into her pocket.

"Uzuki's with him?" Link asked.

"She lives just a few houses down the road from us," Zelda answered.

"And you're not going near her," Irwin snapped suddenly.

Zelda, Link, and Midna stared at him.

"Irwin, she sounds like she's in trouble," Zelda objected.

"That girl is not safe to be around," Irwin growled. "She's _always_ in trouble – and I don't want you to get involved. She's dangerous."

"But what if she's hurt?" Midna asked worriedly.

"I'm sure she can handle herself."

Clara was the next to speak. "Dear, maybe we should . . ."

"Don't worry about her, Clara."

_I guess it's my turn to say something_, Link thought.

"Um, sir . . ." Link began. "I know Uzuki probably isn't one of your most favorite people in the world, but Zant is still with her, and, well . . . you wouldn't want him to get hurt, would you?"

Irwin stared at Link. He set his fork down on the table, its brief _clink_ ringing through Link's ears.

"If Zant gets hurt," Irwin said in a low voice, "then it will be his own fault for spending time with that wild animal in the first place. He should be responsible enough to take care of himself."

"You're awful . . ." Zelda hissed under her breath. "If you don't care about your son at _all_, then _I'm _going to look for him. And I swear, if he's hurt, it will be _your_ fault, not his." She stood up from the table. "Learn to take the blame for once."

She stared at Link for a moment, and then marched out of the house.

"How do you even live with yourself?" Midna growled before leaving after her sister.

Link looked at Clara. "I'll go get her."

"Thank you, Link," Clara said.

Link got up from the table without any reaction from Irwin, and left the house – he found Zelda speed-walking down the sidewalk, Midna just a few feet behind him.

"Hey, wait up!" Link called, running after them.

"He's such an idiot!" Zelda exclaimed after Link caught up with them. "How could he be so cruel?"

"Zel, slow down," Link said. "Where are you even going?"

"To Uzuki's!" Zelda shouted. "My step-brother may be annoying, and Uzuki may be psychotic, but I don't want either one of them to get hurt. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened."

Link took Zelda's hand to slow her down. He smiled at her. "I understand. I would do the same thing for my brothers if they were in trouble too . . . I don't know if they'd do the same for me, but I wouldn't expect anything in return anyway. I'll help you find Zant and Uzuki."

Zelda smiled and hugged him tight. "Thank you, Link . . ."

"Hey, I'm worried about them too. You don't have to thank me." He pulled Zelda away. "Now, let's go find your stupid step-brother."

The door was sticking, so Link charged into it with his shoulder, its hinges swinging the door open.

"There," Link sighed, trying to ease the pain from his shoulder from the strong blow to Uzuki's house door.

"Zant!" Zelda called. "Are you in here? Zant!"

"Uzuki!" Link called with her.

The three teenagers called for Zant and Uzuki as they walked through the house. It was a strange feeling, walking through Uzuki's big house. It felt empty and desolate inside – it was almost as if they had entered the world where the dead lived.

"Something doesn't feel right . . ." Link whispered.

"Can you feel the energy in here, Link?" Zelda asked him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"The atmosphere here . . . it's completely off-balance. There's no order to it at all . . . it's so chaotic in here that it's actually kind of noisy." He rubbed his head. "It's giving me a headache. Let's hurry and find Uzuki and Zant so I can get out of this place."

Zelda nodded. "Hang in there, Link."

* * *

Midna walked upstairs, examining every single room. She took note of all the windows in the house that had been boarded up – for some reason, only the upstairs windows had been boarded, but not the downstairs ones. It's almost as if there was something outside of the second-floor Uzuki didn't want to see. When she peeked through the cracks between the boards, all she could see were the leaves of the trees that were planted here and there around the house.

She ended up in Uzuki's room, the windows boarded up extra-tight with a second layer of wood, and the curtains shredded up into pieces. The small mattress on the floor that hadn't even been put on a bedframe seemed to have been cut up as well, the fluff coming out from the inside of the mattress.

But the most disturbing thing about the room was the drawings that were hanging on the walls. All of them looked like they had been scrawled out with charcoal in a few rapid moments – she was obviously rushing when she was drawing them, but for what reason Midna was unsure of.

Midna picked up one of the drawings from the floor. It looked like a drawing of Uzuki, only much younger, the age of a child even, and she was holding a suited man's hand. Neither of the people drawn on the paper had faces drawn in – instead, they had 'X's slashed through the blank faces . . .

. . . with blood.

Midna heard a bang from out in the hallway; it nearly made her jump a foot into the air. She quickly folded up the drawing and stuffed it into her pocket for future reference, and then slowly tip-toed towards the door. The bang had sounded like a door slamming. She was hoping it had just been Link or Zelda downstairs, but something about this house made her skin crawl and her hair stand on end – she wanted to get out of there quickly.

Midna pushed the door open and left the bedroom, heading back down the upstairs hallway again with a quicker pace than before. She skipped down the stairs two at a time, and found Link and Zelda in the living room. Zelda was holding on tightly to Link.

"Did you guys hear that banging sound?"

They didn't say anything. Zelda raised her hand and pointed to the basement door that was in the hallway right across from them.

Midna crept towards the basement door and grabbed the doorknob, slowly turning it. Link and Zelda remained silent as she carefully opened it, all three of them waiting to see what was on the other side.

The inside was pitch-dark. Midna backed away, ready to shut the door again – she knew she definitely wasn't going down there.

Suddenly, a grumble grew up from the bottom of the stairs, growing into a loud scream. Midna slammed the door just in time – something was down there, and it wanted out. Midna pressed herself against the door to keep it shut; whatever it was, it definitely wasn't Zant or Uzuki, and she wasn't going to open the door to find out what it really was.

"Don't just stand there! Help me!" Midna screamed at Link and her sister. The two looked around the house – eventually, Link grabbed a chair to push up under the door knob.

Midna faltered away from the door, completely out of breath from all her fear and screaming.

"What the hell was that?" Midna yelled.

Link backed away. "I don't know . . . guys, I think we should leave."

"You don't say, Holmes?" Midna sneered. "Why didn't we do that earlier?"

"What about Zant and Uzuki?" Zelda asked worriedly.

"I don't know . . . but there's something in Uzuki's basement, and I don't want to stick around to see what it is."

"But . . ."

Link looked Zelda in the eyes with pity and regret. "I'm sorry, Zel, but we'll just have to hope they show up sometime later today. If not . . . well, we can always search for them tomorrow."

Zelda nodded, her eyes filling with tears, and fell into Link's arms for a tight embrace.

"Sshh, it's alright," Link whispered, rubbing her head. "Everything will be alright . . ."

Suddenly, the sound of loud banging came out from behind the basement door, followed by Zant's voice.

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Midna jumped to her feet and wedged the chair out from underneath the doorknob. The door swung open, revealing a very sweaty and fear-stricken Zant.

"Zant, you're okay!" Midna exclaimed. Then she caught sight of his right arm – it had very deep gashes in it, to the point that it looked like they were going down to the bone.

"Zant, your arm . . . !"

Zant clutched it, trying to hold the blood in. "Let's get out of here, right now!" he shouted.

"But what about Uzuki?" Zelda stopped him. "Where is she?"

"She'll be fine!" Zant snapped. "Let's just get out while we still have the chance!"

Link picked up the chair, ready to pin it to the door again.

"No, don't do that!" Zant yelled to stop him. "Uzuki's going to need to get out of there eventually."

"But what about what's down there?" Link yelled. "We don't want it running in the streets!"

"It won't leave," Zant assured him. "Trust me – it'll stay here."

Link stared at him doubtfully, but sighed and nodded. "Alright, fine," he grumbled, dropping the chair. "Zel, Midna, let's go."

Link grabbed Zelda's hand and hastily pulled her out of the house with Midna and her wounded brother. They shut the door behind them, making sure it was unlocked, and then made their way back to Zelda's house.

"Wait, what will Irwin say when he sees this?" Midna asked.

"We'll sneak him upstairs through the window," Zelda replied. "We can climb the vines on the wall or the big oak tree, whichever you prefer."

"Is he in any condition to climb?" Link asked, pointing to Zant's arm.

"I can still move it," Zant hissed. "It's strange . . . it hurts, but it's not the worst wound I've ever gotten. It just stings a little . . . plus it looks pretty sick. I'll have some pretty nice scars when this has healed-"

"Zant, shut up!' Zelda yelled at him. "For all we know, you're going to have to get stitches!"

"If that's the case, does it really matter if we sneak him in or not?" Link asked. "I mean, if he's going to need stitching, his parents are going to find out about it."

"We'll just clean out the wound," Midna said. "I've done a lot first-aid work around town – I know my way around wounds like these." She stared with a sick look at Zant's cuts. "Okay, maybe not to this extent . . ." she swallowed. "But I'm sure I'll be able to clean it up even just a little. We can get Clara to take him to the hospital later."

They soon made it to Zelda's house. Link helped Zant up the tree, and then pushed him through the window when the coast was clear. Zelda and Midna followed afterward, climbing up the vines that had grown underneath Zelda's window.

When they were all inside, Midna brought in several things to clean Zant's wound, including disinfectant, bandages, a tin bowl filled with water, and a clean rag.

"Alright, Zant, just hang in there," Midna whispered as she took the rag and soaked it in the water. She cleaned up the excess blood that was dripping down Zant's arm. Zant flinched when she dabbed it to his skin. It got even more painful for him when she started to move closer to the wound.

She grabbed the disinfectant spray. "Okay, this is going to hurt for a few seconds, but it'll prevent your wound from getting infected."

Zant held his breath, waiting for Midna to spray it on him and get it over with. The spray hit his skin quickly, sending bolts of stinging pain through his arm, but only for a few moments.

Zant finally exhaled. Midna took the bandages and tied them tightly around Zant's arm to prevent the wound from bleeding anymore.

"Better?" she asked him.

"Y-Yeah, thanks . . ." he sighed.

Midna put away all the supplies she had used, and then sat down across from her brother.

"We'll have to tell Clara about it," Midna said. "There's only so much I can do for it – you'll need doctors to take a better look at it."

Zant nodded. "Yeah, I know."

Midna wiped the blood off her hands.

"I may as well tell her," Zelda offered. "She's my mother, after all."

She looked at Link, who was soothingly rubbing his head with his fingers.

"Are you okay?"

Link nodded. "Yes, I'm fine . . . that house just gave me a major headache . . ."

"Does the atmosphere really affect you that much?"

"You'd be surprised," Link snickered. "You'd think I was allergic to air or something."

Zelda smiled, and rubbed his hair. "Why don't you go lay down on the couch? It'll make you feel better."

Link nodded. "Thanks, I think I'll do that."

* * *

Link lay back on the plush couch, gently setting his head on the pillow. His head was swimming – in a sort of drunk kind of way – and he felt like he was walking on electrified clouds, if that was even a possible feeling.

Clara entered the living room, and giggled.

"Are you feeling alright, Link?" she asked him.

Link lifted his head slightly to look at her. "Headache."

"Ah," she said. She sat down on the matching chair across from him, the coffee table sitting between them. "So, did you manage to find Zant?"

"Yeah, we found him," Link replied. "He's upstairs. He got cut up pretty badly by . . . something."

Clara's face went grim. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, Midna tended to his wounds. He should be fine, but it wouldn't hurt to get him checked out by a doctor."

Clara nodded. "I'll take him in later, then. Right now I'm worried about you."

"Eh, it's nothing . . ." Link sighed. "Just a headache – my head is really sensitive to the atmosphere around me."

"You're an aura-reader."

Link stared at her in surprise. "Huh? Y-Yeah, I guess . . ."

Clara giggled. "I am too."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm."

Link smiled at her. He hadn't realized it until now, but the middle-aged woman looked so familiar to him – it was almost as if he had already met her sometime in his life.

"Uh, this is going to sound weird, but . . . have we met before?"

Clara smiled. "I used to babysit you, Link."

Link nearly jumped off the couch. "What? When?"

"When you were just a little kid," she answered. "I was the one that always gave you gummy bears at the end of the day."

Link stared at her with wide, happy eyes. "_You're _Gummy-Bear Clare?" he exclaimed. "I barely recognized you!"

She twirled one of her blond strands of hair around her finger. "Well, I am older now," she laughed. "And I changed my look a lot over the years. I like to keep my appearance fresh."

"I'll say. Didn't your hair used to be red?"

"When I was babysitting you, yes."

Link suddenly stopped. "Wait . . . that means . . . was I friends with Zelda when you babysat me?"

"Well, she was usually with her father," Clara replied. "But you did know her as a friend, yes."

"She beat the shit out of me in judo club!"

Clara stared at him. "You were four, Link, and so was she. I'm pretty sure she couldn't have done _that _much to you."

"She flipped me into the floor!"

Clara clapped her hands together. "My, my, so she's always been good at judo . . . see, her father took her to those lessons. I really didn't agree much with it. All that violence . . ."

Link tried to take in everything at once. "I can't believe it . . . I knew Zelda before she moved to the Academy . . ."

"It's a small world," Clara sighed. "You never know who you'll meet. If you were in judo with Zelda, you probably met Uzuki at one point too."

Link thought over it for a moment. "Yeah, I do remember her! She was the one who could never remember the theory and history lessons . . . she just remembered all the moves. She and Uzuki were always against each other . . ."

Link suddenly felt a lot more comfortable with Zelda's family. He may not have known Irwin all that well, but he knew Clara, and he had known Zelda and Uzuki too.

Clara stood up from her chair. "Well, I ought to go get Zant now. I'd like to get him to the hospital before he completely bleeds out." She seemed completely casual about it.

"Clara . . . ?"

"Yes?"

". . . Thanks."

Clara smiled. "No need to thank me, Link."


	32. Advice

**LOL I remember writing this chapter out a long time ago (and I mean a LONG time ago), so when I looked back at it so I could type it up, I thought to myself, "OMG Why did I write it like this? Link would never say stuff like that!" and ended up changing it around to make it suit Link and Zelda more X3 Don't even ask me to show you guys the original draft for this chapter, because it's not happening XD It was SOOOOO dumb XD (as in, I wrote it when I was like 13, and I'm 16 now and have gotten a lot better at writing since then :P)**

**-Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**P.S. I personally love the ending to this chapter X3 I think it's one of my most favorite endings to date.**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 32: Advice**

Midna tied an elastic band into Zelda's braid, and brushed out the hairs that stuck out from her head.

"So, how long have you and Link been dating?" Midna giggled.

Zelda smiled, and began painting her nails with clear nail polish.

"We've been dating since November," Zelda replied proudly.

"You chose an awesome guy this time. He's really cute."

"Trust me, once you get to know him, you'll see that his talents and personality are even better. He plays the guitar, you know. And he's smarter than what his grades show. And he's so funny . . . one time he-"

"So, you two are really getting serious, huh?" Midna interrupted as she started to pick out earrings for Zelda to wear.

"Well . . . sort of," Zelda replied. "Why, are you jealous?"

"Nope. I'm with this guy named Byrne right now. You remember him, right?"

"That tall buff guy with the brown hair that's always tied into a ponytail? He wants to go into the army, right?"

"Yep, that's the one," Midna laughed. "I'm surprised you remember him."

"I remember when you were dating _Ghirahim_," Zelda shuddered.*

"Don't remind me," Midna snapped. "That was a mistake."

"I'll say. All that hot-headed fatso could seem to talk about was his hair. Why did he dump you again?"

"He was afraid of me ruining his _image_," Midna scoffed.

"Whatever image he possibly had," Zelda said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, Byrne and I are still dating," Midna said happily, "and things have gotten pretty serious between us too."

"What? Aw, come on, Midna! You're not serious?" Zelda exclaimed.

"What, is it wrong for me to fall in love with a guy?" Midna laughed as she started digging through her drawers for different outfit to wear for the party.

"You know what I'm talking about," Zelda growled. "You may just be my step-sister, but I'm still going to get pissed at you for doing stupid things."

"Oh, so you know I slept with him?" Midna giggled.

"Ugh, so it's true!" Zelda spat in disgust. "Midna, how could you?"

"It's not that bad, Zel," Midna laughed. "You're acting like I planted a bomb in the Academy or something."

"This is just as bad!"

"Oh, don't tell me you haven't fantasized _once_ about doing the same thing with Link," Midna retorted. "It's perfectly fine if you did."

"Well . . . maybe, but that doesn't matter! That's different from doing it for real!"

* * *

Link and Zant, who were supposed to be getting ready for the dinner party, were instead playing video games in Zant's gaming room. They were already dressed and ready, but they had been asked to help with the setting up of the party if they were ready early.

"You sure have put up with my step-sister for a while, haven't ya?" Zant snickered.

"Oh, she's not that bad," Link laughed back. "I could be dating Ruto or some other lunatic, like-"

"Uzuki," Zant teased him. "Now _she's_ fun to hang out with."

"I could _never_ see myself dating her," Link shuddered. "I mean, she's alright, but I'd be too afraid of having her sneak into my bed in the middle of the night and slit my throat open with a fork."

"At least she'd be in the bed with you."

"Excuse me?" Link exclaimed. He shot down one of Zant's soldiers with a sniper as revenge for making such a rude comment.

"Nothing, nothing," Zant laughed as his character re-spawned on the screen.

Link ran up to his newly spawned character, and knifed him.

"Real mature, asshole!" Zant yelled. "Who the hell uses a knife?"

"Are you suggesting I slept with your sister?" Link growled at Zant.

"Hmm, maybe just a little bit," Zant teased him. His character re-spawned again, but Link shot him through the head – a perfect headshot – before he could get anywhere.

Zant scowled at him. "Quit being a camping troll!"

"I'm merely giving you the virtual finger," Link hissed, reloading his sniper rifle.

"Maybe if you turned off the auto-noob-scope we could actually have fun with this game instead of humiliating me. You're going to make my rank go down, and I finally got in the top ten too."

"The auto-noob-scope is there for a reason," Link sneered. "So we could _use _it."

"Quit being so high and mighty, Link – there must have been one time you thought about doing it."

"Doing _what_?"

"You know," Zant snickered, giving him a playful wink.

Link started to chase after Zant's character with a knife.

"No, I haven't had sex with her, and I don't plan to!" Link yelled. "What's wrong with you?"

"You're the one chasing me with a knife, Link," Zant growled, tossing a grenade back at Link's character to try and slow him down, if not kill him entirely.

"Quit asking me about it then!" Link argued as he ran away from the ignited grenade.

"Well, I happen to have already slept with my girlfriend! God, I love it how she puts her mouth on my-"

"Okay, okay!" Link shouted. "I don't want to hear the details!" He grabbed Zant's soldier and stabbed him several times until he collapsed onto the ground in a heap of blood.

"Alright, alright, sorry," Zant laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "Just thought you'd like a little first-time advice."

"Ugh, no!" Link scoffed.

* * *

When Zelda went outside to the back deck, she was greeted by her mother. Her mom gave her a big hug, a huge smile on her face.

"You look so beautiful, sweetie!" she exclaimed. "You're going to blow Link away!"

"Thanks mom," Zelda giggled. "Speaking of Link, is he outside yet?"

"He's helping your father with the tables; so is Zant."

"Alright. I'm going to go find him." Then she left her mother to find Link. She found him setting up the last table. He was wearing a light blue dress shirt with a black tie and a pair of black dress pants, and black shoes.

"Hi, Link," Zelda greeted. When he saw her, he didn't respond. She was wearing a black dress, but it was hanging down low in the front, showing off a bit of her cleavage. She was wearing a brown-string necklace that appeared to have been made out of some kind of tribal ornament, and earrings to match. The outdoor lights illuminated her light-brown lipstick and nail polish beautifully.

"Oh, wow . . . Zelda, you look beautiful . . ." Link said, his voice nearly breathless from all his shock.

"Thank you," Zelda giggled. "You look great too."

Link looked around the backyard. "Your parents sure went all-out for this."

"Yeah, well, we have this party every year. My folks want to make it extra special because you're here."

"Then I'll have to thank them with something special as well."

Zelda held her hand out to him. "Come on, let's go have some fun."

* * *

Zant and Midna sat down at one of the tables, both of them watching Link and Zelda sit down at one fo the tables at the other end of the deck.

"Ah, romance," Zant laughed. "Don't go into Zelda's room tonight, okay?"

"What, you know?" Midna asked in surprise.

"Of course I know, Link was the one that told me!"

". . . Well, Zelda told _me_!"

Zant stopped, confused about what was going on.

"So . . . you're telling me . . . that we just set up Link and Zelda to sleep with _each other_?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Midna sighed.

Zant smiled. "Wow, this night is going to be awesome."

Midna bit her lip. "But we can't let mom and dad walk in on them! We have to do something so that they don't find out!"

"Fine, then I'll tell Link that if he wants to spend the night with Zelda tonight, then he has to do it a few hours before the party ends."

"So they're honestly going to do it tonight?" Midna asked unsteadily.

"I can pretty much guarantee it," Zant replied in determination before picking at the stitches in his arm.

"My little sister . . . is going to lose her innocence tonight . . . I can't believe it . . ."

"Cut the crap, Midna. She's not even your blood sister – you've only been related by law for a few years. What matters is that Link and Zelda are about to have heated sex and we're the only ones that know about it!" Zant burst into laughter.

"You're disgusting! Don't you care about her at all?"

"Face it, Midna, we're bad siblings anyways for setting them up like this. Let me just remind you that you're one of the masterminds behind this plan."

Midna clasped her hands over her ears. "I don't want to hear you right now! I can't believe you! You're cruel!"

"That's what brothers are for."

* * *

Link sat with Zelda and her family at one of the main tables. Link sat next to Zelda, Midna and Zant sat together – both of them with smug looks on their faces – and Zelda's parents were sitting together at one end of the table.

Link sighed, and took a sip from his punch. "I don't even know any of the people here, Zelda . . ."

"Trust me, neither do I," Zelda giggled. She balanced a wine glass in her right hand, and placed her head on Link's shoulder. "You look really handsome in a suit . . ."

"It's just a dress shirt and dress pants," Link laughed. He wrapped his arm around her, placing his hand on her waist. Zelda took a sip from her weak wine.

"Don't fall asleep on me," Link chuckled.

"I just might do that," Zelda giggled. "Then you'd have to carry me to bed."

Link blushed. Thoughts of what he would do to Zelda if he carried her to bed began rushing through his mind. He imagined kissing her, caressing her beautiful body . . . taking off her clothes . . .

_Whoa, Link_ . . . he thought. _Slow down. You can't possibly be thinking of going through with it. The timing doesn't seem right . . . but when will the timing be right? This is my only chance right now, before school starts. Once school starts I won't get another chance until the summer. Yeah . . . I'm going to do it tonight . . . but I have to make sure she's alright with it. I can't screw anything up; I don't want to upset her, especially considering what all her other boyfriends did. _

"Link? Are you alright?" Zelda asked worriedly.

Link blinked, realizing that he had been lost in thought. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about something."

"What was it?"

"Um . . . I'll tell you later."

Zelda's parents stood up from the table.

"Zelda, we're just going to the other tables to catch up with our old friends," Clara said. She and Irwin left the table, leaving Zelda, Link, Zant, and Midna alone at the table.

"Zelda, can I . . . talk to you in private for a minute?" Midna asked her sister.

"Hmm? Oh, okay."

Zelda and Midna left the main table, and headed to one of the smaller empty tables, leaving Link and Zant behind.

"So, Zelda, you love Link, right?" Midna asked.

"Yes . . . I do love him," Zelda replied without batting a hesitant eye.

"Of course you do! So, have you tried making any moves on him yet?"

Zelda glared at her. "Midna, if I'm thinking about the same thing you're suggesting, then _no_, I haven't; and I don't think I'm going to either."

"Aw, why not?"

Zelda looked away from her sister for a moment, her face red in embarrassment. "Well, I . . . I do want to."

"I knew it!" Midna exclaimed. Zelda's face began to heat up from the uncomfortable feeling of pure embarrassment. She had her thoughts, but she had never admitted them to _anyone_ – and now her sister was practically laughing at her.

"It's not funny . . ." Zelda whispered.

Midna smiled, and patted her step-sister's head. "Hey, it's okay. You shouldn't be so nervous about it. How about this? I'll get you and Link some time alone together. You don't have to do anything weird – I just want you two to have some alone time."

Zelda stared up at her sister. "That's not necessary, you know. Link and I get to spend lots of quality time together."

"I know, but face it, Zel, these parties are always lame, at least for us," Midna laughed. "You can either spend time with Link, or you can sit out here and try to pay attention whenever Clara or Dad's random friends talks to you."

Zelda thought for a moment. She admitted to herself that for her, her parents' parties were never all that great – only their friends through work and close relationships had fun.

With a sigh of defeat, Zelda shrugged her shoulders, and agreed.

"Fine," she muttered.

"Alright, awesome!" Midna cheered.

"You're still up to something though," Zelda growled. "Why would you be so excited just to help me and Link spend time together?"

Midna tried to make an innocent face. "Cause' I'm your awesome, always-caring stepsister, that's why!"

Zelda raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm sure of that," she muttered.

"Don't worry about it," Midna said. "And I'll make sure Clara and Dad don't disturb you two either!"

"Alright, fine," Zelda sighed.

* * *

Zant took a sip form his wine, and then smiled at Link.

"So, _quality time_ with my stepsister, eh?" he laughed. Link was starting to feel that he was a little tipsy from the alcohol, but it was hard to tell considering he had only had one drink; the one he was drinking was only his second.

Link scowled at him. "Call it what you will. No offense, but this party is boring the crap out of me."

"None taken, buddy," he snickered. "I hate these parties too; the only thing I enjoy is the free food."

Link looked around at all the people that were at Zelda's house. None of them seemed to be paying any attention to the two of them, so Link continued to talk.

"So, you think Zelda and I could get some alone time?" he asked.

"Yeah, no problem," Zant replied casually. "It's just making sure the parents don't know about it."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Zant finished off his wine, and then set the glass in front of him, rubbing the rim of the glass with his thumb.

"How about this? You go to my parents and tell them that you're leaving, because your uncle wants you home early."

"Okay," Link said.

"Meanwhile, you sneak into the house with Zelda, and I'll take your car down street to Uzuki's house so that it looks like you left."

Link stared at him grimly.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not letting you go behind the wheel of my car," Link growled.

"Come on, it's just at the end of the road," Zant argued.

"I don't care if it's to the end of your freaking _driveway_!" Link exclaimed. "You're not touching my car!"

Zant sighed. "Do you want to spend time with Zelda or not?"

Link stopped, and realized that Zant held all the cards.

" . . . Fine! But I swear to God, Zant, if I find _one single scratch_ on my car, you're dead!"

Zant smiled, and gave him a thumbs-up. "No problem, buddy! You can count on me!" Then he turned around and walked away.

_Besides,_ Zant thought to himself, a teasing smile growing on his face, _Uzuki will probably do worse to the backseats than I will to the paintjob._

* * *

The rest of the party for Link and Zelda seemed to go on forever. They took part in few conversations with other people, and if they tried to talk to each _other_, it was just plain awkward with the sensual thoughts going through their own individual minds. Zant was ready to pull off his part of the plan, especially after Link showed him how to _properly_ start the car without overriding the engine too much, to which Zant replied, "Whatever floats your boat, Link – if anything is going to destroy this car, it's not going to be me.", so Link felt quite reassured that Zant was not going to ruin his car – but he couldn't be too careful either. After all, Mercedes were expensive, and there was no way he was going to be allowed to get another one if this one was wrecked in any way. To Link, Zelda was the love of his life, and his Mercedes was his child, only to receive the utmost care.

"Link, are you okay?" Zelda asked. "You've been awfully quiet."

Link turned his gaze to her, trying to take his mind off what his plans for tonight were . . . and his car.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all," Link replied. "This party is . . . kind of boring."

"Heh, that's something we can definitely both agree on," Zelda laughed. "I never really liked these parties either. Although, before I didn't really have someone with me to help pass the time. I'm glad you were able to come, Link."

Link smiled. "Me too."

Zelda leaned to the side to rest on his shoulder. She snuggled in close to him, feeling the warmth of his skin against hers.

Link's heart was about to pound out of his chest; he thought he was going to have a heart attack. Finally, he managed to find the words he was looking for.

"Zel . . . um, do you want to go find some place a little more . . . private?"

Zelda could feel her face heating up – her chance to make the first move on him had suddenly been handed to her on a silver platter.

"Uh . . . sure."

Link stood up, taking Zelda by her hand and leading her away from the party, towards the house. As they were walking, Link locked eyes with Zant, and gave him the signal.

Zant smirked to himself. He went over to Zelda's mother.

"Hey, Clara, Link just wanted to tell you he's heading out now," he lied. "Blake wants him back home early tonight. He just wanted me to tell you that he enjoyed the party and was very glad to meet you."

Clara smiled. "Oh, well, give him my regards as well the next time you speak to him."

"Will do," Zant snickered. Then he turned around and headed for the garage where Link's red-hot Mercedes was waiting. He leaped over the closed driver door, landing on the plush seat, and started the ignition, the engine as smooth as a kitten's purr.

"Oh yeah, listen to that beautiful sound . . ." Zant sighed to himself as he put the car into first gear.

_Ugh, it's a standard_ . . . he thought in disgust. _What a backwoods hick . . . what is he driving, a pickup truck?_

Zant pulled out from the garage, being sure to keep his face hidden from anyone that may see him, and drove down the road towards Uzuki's.

Then it hit him.

Uzuki was still missing. He didn't know if she'd be at the house when he arrived or still missing in another dimension.

"Shit . . ." he hissed to himself. "Ah well . . . she won't mind . . ."

Zant pulled the car into Uzuki's driveway and then into her garage. After turning off the car, he stepped out and snuck out of the garage, closing it with the button on the outside.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a door slamming from inside the house, and the trees started to shift, even though there wasn't an inch of wind.

Zant backed away, and then went into full speed back for his own house, wanting to get as far away as possible from the house as he could. With Uzuki, he felt safer around her house, because she knew how to handle all the weird things that happened in there; but on his own, he felt as weak as a lost puppy dog, and didn't want to have anything to do with the place.

_Just don't look back, Zant. Don't look back. You're gonna make it. You're gonna make it._

Zant felt so relieved when he stepped onto the paved ground of their backyard. He got down to his knees and kissed the ground, ignoring the odd looks everybody else was giving him.

_You made it . . . you're safe now . . ._

When he looked up from the ground, he saw the night-time black silhouette of the water tower near the end of the road.

_Huh . . ._ Zant thought as he got back to his feet. _Maybe . . . maybe she did get out of the house. Maybe she's just hiding . . . maybe she's up in the water tower._

Zant took a quick glance at his bandaged arm.

_No, not tonight. I'll go look for her tomorrow if she isn't back by then._

Zant let out a relaxing sigh as he turned around and disappeared into the crowd of people, not noticing the lone faceless man dressed in a black suit watching him from the other side of the yard . . .

* * *

Link shut the bedroom door behind him after Zelda walked through, leaving them enclosed in the little room alone.

"What is it?" Zelda asked nervously; somehow she felt as if her plan to 'make the first move' had suddenly been reversed.

Link suddenly leaned in and placed his lips on her, kissing her passionately as he entwined his hands in hers.

"Zelda . . ." he breathed in between his passionate kisses. "I love you . . ."

"I love you too . . ." Zelda whispered back, pulling him in closer with each kiss he placed on her lips.

"I love you . . . I love you so much . . . You're everything to me . . ."

Zelda fell back onto the bed, Link leaning just above her.

"Link . . ." Zelda whispered.

"Yes . . . ?" Link asked, stopping in case something was wrong; he didn't want to screw this up.

Zelda caressed his face, and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, pulling him in closer.

"Link . . ." she whispered again. "I want you . . . I want you to make love to me right here . . . right now . . ."

Link's entire body heated from up from the sensation of her saying these words. He smiled.

"Zelda . . . are you sure?" he asked cautiously, not wanting to get his hopes up. "We don't have to do this . . ."

"I don't have to," Zelda said. "I _want_ to."

Link smiled and pulled her into another deep passionate kiss, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her even closer to him, their bodies pressing tightly against each other's bodies.

Link caressed her face as he kissed her, but then she took his hand and moved it downwards to her chest. Link looked at her, and smiled.

"I love you, Zel . . . and I promise, I'll try my best to make this work . . ."

Zelda kissed him lightly on the lips. "It will work. I love you too."

* * *

Clara looked around the party, trying to find her daughter. She went to find Midna instead.

"Midna!" she called. "Have you seen Zelda anywhere?"

"Yeah, she went to bed," Midna lied. "Link already left, so I guess Zel didn't have a reason to stay awake any longer," she laughed.

"Oh, I see," Clara said. "Well, I should go say goodnight to her . . ."

Midna tried to keep her cool over her sudden panic. "Um, Clara, she's not four," Midna laughed. "I'm pretty sure she doesn't need you giving her any goodnight kisses."

Clara smiled. "Well, excuse me then."

"You're such a hippy, you know that?" Midna snickered.

"You mad, bro?" Clara replied.

Midna stared at Clara. "Remind me to never let you go surfing on the Internet again. No more memes for you. Go drink some wine or something, Clara."

"Why you no let me have any fun?" Clara laughed out loud.

"Seriously, Clara, just . . . just shut up."

* * *

*Actually, I had this as Groose when I first uploaded this chapter to the Doc Manager, but then I decided to change it to Ghirahim because I thought he would be a better match for Midna . . . not to mention he's a bit more -ahem- _flamboyant _than Groose when it comes to his image :3


	33. For the First Time

**Wow, this is . . . really really really weird. I mean, you and I always knew there was eventually going to be a lemon in OCL, but now that I've written it like this for about 2 years, it just feels weird to have a lemon . . . so here's what I'm going to do: YES, there's still going to be the lemon, HOWEVER I'm going to try and write it as soft-hearted and pure as I possibly can (because at this point, there's no other way for Link and Zelda to have their lemony moment without ruining it entirely).**

**So I hope you enjoy what you've all been waiting for! **

**-Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 33: For the First Time . . .**

Link and Zelda stayed close to each other, their bodies hot and sweating as they caressed each other's naked bodies and kissed each other in the dark of Zelda's room. Zelda panted as Link kissed her skin, moving from her soft belly to her breasts and then to her neck. Their bodies were wrapped up in the sheets of Zelda's bed, their clothes littering the bedroom floor. Their hands intertwined as Link kissed her, his body remaining so close to hers that they could feel each other's heartbeats through their own skin.

Link kissed Zelda again, his tongue roaming her mouth and trailing gently along her lips. Zelda dug her fingers through Link's dirty-blond hair and dragged her hands down his skin.

Link stopped kissing her for a moment, and looked her straight in the eyes.

"No turning back?" Link asked her one more time.

Zelda shook her head. "No . . . please, Link . . ."

Link nodded, and then moved in closer to her, pushing himself inside of her. Zelda let out a light shriek from the sudden pain; her body wasn't used to it, but she knew she would adapt in a few moments. Link leaned in close to her again, pushing himself continuously inside of her, a moan of pain escaping Zelda's mouth with each thrust.

"Link . . ." Zelda moaned, digging her fingers into Link's back as he thrust further into her.

"Mmm . . ." Link groaned, his face dug into her neck and her hair, which was sticking to her face from all her sweating. She already seemed exhausted, and he had barely even started. And yet, she still seemed so awake, so excited for all of it. And so was he.

Link grabbed one of Zelda's legs and hoisted it up around his back. He took her other leg and did the same with it, giving him the room to push further into her. Zelda let out a yelp, but soon moaned in ecstasy from the amazing feeling. It was strange – being such a new thing, it was painful, but it felt good at the same time, to the point that Zelda couldn't decide whether she was in agonizing pain or mind-blowing pleasure.

It was all so new to the both of them, and it was amazing. Link hadn't really realized until now how much he had wanted to do this.

"Zelda . . ." Link breathed her name. Zelda clutched his back with her hands, pulling him in closer so that she could kiss him again. Their sweaty bodies slid against each other as Link thrust himself inside her. He clasped his hands inside of hers, his chest just floating above Zelda's body.

It felt like it ended just as it began. Neither of them were able to reach their end, as the experience was all too new for them. But it was still just as good for both of them, and they collapsed into the sheets in each other's arms.

Link rubbed Zelda's back and her head, her skin so close to his that he could feel her heart beating with his.

"Zelda . . . I love you . . ." Link gasped as he caressed her skin lightly with the tips of his fingers.

Zelda could feel the electric vibes coming from his fingertips.

"I love you too . . ." Zelda sighed as she traced her own fingers along his chest.

Link stopped for a moment to catch his breath. "Is it . . . is it everything you imagined to be?" he asked her.

Zelda weakly nodded. "Yes . . . yes, it is . . . even better . . ."

Link smiled, and pulled her in close to his body. He kissed her head, and then snuggled into her.

"You don't regret anything, right . . . ?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, of course not . . . I wanted to do this with you, Link . . ." She snuggled in deeper to him. "I've been wanting to do this with you for . . . a long time . . ."

Link found her lips again and kissed her gently. He stroked her body with one hand, and gently rubbed her cheek with the other, his heart racing again. He pulled himself up until he was on top again, reaching his hands over to take her hands in his, clasping them tightly.

Link pulled away for a brief moment to look into her eyes.

"You're so beautiful . . ." he sighed, a wide grin on his face. "I love you so much, Zelda . . ." He leaned in to kiss her again, but only kissed her for a few moments before pulling away again.

"You're everything to me . . ."

He kissed her again.

"I can't imagine my life without you . . ."

Again.

"I'm so glad that I met you and that you became mine . . ."

And again.

Zelda giggled lightly and pulled him in to rest his forehead on hers.

"I'm glad too," she laughed. "This is the first time I've ever spent the night with a boy like this - and trust me when I say, I would only ever do it with you."

Link beamed and went in to kiss her again, wrapping his arms tightly around her and rolling her over so that she was on top. Zelda dug her fingers through his hair as she kissed him, her skin sliding against his.

"You don't understand how beautiful you are, do you?" Link snickered as he pulled her away again.

"Mmhmm," Zelda grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, I'm not lying!" Link laughed, pulling her in for a quick kiss. "Why would I lie about a beautiful person like you? You're everything to me, Zel."

Zelda snuggled in close to his chest, still laying on top of him, her body moving with the rise and fall of Link's breathing. Link gently rubbed her back, his fingers trailing along her smooth skin.

"I'm glad . . . that we were able to do this . . ." Zelda sighed. "And I'm glad that I met you, Link . . ."

"I'm just glad you actually accepted my offer back in October," Link snickered.

"Oh yeah, that one-month thing . . ." Zelda laughed with him. She pushed herself up so that she was still laying on him, but holding her head up with her hands and facing him. "I remember that."

"Yeah, I felt kind of stupid after saying that . . ."

Zelda raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?"

"Well, I mean, what kind of dork makes an offer like that? It just seemed . . . a little weird at the time. And I was surprised you even accepted it at all."

"I accepted it because I wanted to see what you were like," Zelda replied. "And you don't have to feel all embarrassed over it – I really did like it."

"Did you?"

"Of course." Zelda smiled at him. "It was probably the most creative way I've been asked out in a long time."

"In a long time?" Link gave her a curious look. "That means that somebody else asked you out in a creative way before. Who was it?"

"Oh, it was a long time ago, Link," Zelda muttered. "Don't worry about it."

"No, I'm curious now," Link laughed. "Tell me."

Zelda sighed. "Alright . . . this is really embarrassing, but I'll tell you . . . back when I went to school here, there was this guy I knew who was probably the smartest in his class. A real math whiz, right? Anyway, I was on the track team one year. Pretty soon, he confessed his love for me, and I turned him down, but he said he wouldn't give up. He was so persistent about it that he showed up at one of my track tournaments and put up a big banner that said, 'Go Zelda!' and when he flipped it to the back side, it said, 'Will you go out with me'?"

Link tried to hold in his laughter. His face turned red.

"Go on, laugh," Zelda grumbled.

Link rolled over and lifted his pillow, setting his head down underneath it and placing the pillow back on top over the back of his head. Zelda could feel his body vibrating with hidden laughter. When he emerged, he looked like he had been crying.

"I'm sorry . . " he sniffled. "But that would be so . . ."

"Embarrassing?" Zelda finished for him. "Tell me about it. I never heard the end of it, and the teachers kept giving me weird looks."

"Is that the reason why you left your school?" Link asked suspiciously.

Zelda smirked. "Of course not."

Link pushed one of her bangs from out of her eyes. "Then why did you?"

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know . . . I just didn't like it here . . . I don't really like my new step-dad, and I just don't have a lot of friends around here. I guess I just wanted to try something new."

"You and your step-siblings seem to get along fine," Link pointed out.

"Me and Midna, yeah," Zelda sighed. "Zant, not so much, but he's a guy so of course he's going to be stupid . . ."

Link stuck his tongue at her. "Yep, us guys, such reckless, brain-dead idiots. I can admit that."

"Well, not _you_," Zelda laughed as she went in to kiss him again. "The difference with you is that you actually have that voice in your head that tells you when you shouldn't do things. Not to mention your special aura-reading ability."

". . . You know, your mom can do it too."

Zelda stared at him. "What? No, she can't. She's my mom, Link, I think I would know if she could-"

"Remember when we saved Zant from Uzuki's house?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I went to rest on the couch, and I ended up talking to her. I told her how my head was sensitive to things around me, and then she immediately knew what I was – she told me that she had the same ability."

"Wait . . . so that's why . . ." Zelda mumbled, but then shook her head. "Never mind. What else did my mom tell you?" She snuggled back into Link's chest.

"Well, apparently you and I knew each other before we met at the Academy."

Zelda bolted her head back up again, her eyes wide.

"No way."

"Yep," Link sighed as he stretched his arms out and folded them behind his head. "I thought I recognized her from somewhere, and it turns out that she used to babysit me. You were that little punk that kept flipping me in judo class."

Zelda burst into a fit of laughter. "_You_ were that wimpy little kid who kept crying?"

"I wasn't wimpy! I was _four_!"

Zelda stopped, and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, but this is payback for laughing at me about the track team confession thing. Still, I can't believe that I knew you when we were toddlers!"

"Yeah, Blake used to take me to those lessons."

"My dad took me to them."

Link smiled at her. "Doesn't it feel weird, to know each other as children and then find each other again as teenagers?"

Zelda shuddered. "It is weird . . . I just had _sex_ with one of 'em . . ."

Link turned his gaze away, crossing his arms and making a pouty face. "Well, if you have to be that harsh about it . . . !"

Zelda laughed and took his face into her hands.

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that, it was just a weird thought, I swear . . . !"

"It's too late, I'm insulted!"

"Well, fine then."

"Wait, Zel – don't get all pouty on me now! I'm sorry, I was kidding . . . !"

* * *

Uzuki lay in the backseat of Link's car, staring up at the garage ceiling as she traced drawings in the air with her finger. The same song - "Bring Me to Life", by Evanecscence – kept playing over and over again in the stereo; it was one of the CD's from Link's personal collection in his glove compartment. She was glad Link had a similar taste in music as her, but then again, Uzuki could listen to anything, as long as it wasn't country or gospel.

Uzuki had shut the garage door so that she wouldn't hear the rustling of the trees outside, and hadn't paid any mind to Zant even when he forcefully drove Link's Mercedes into her garage. Of course, Zant still didn't know she had returned from the other side yet. She would have to tell him later, when she was in the mood to tell him. Right now, all she was worried about was the darkness around her.

Uzuki leaned forward to change the song. She pulled out the CD and put it back into its spot in the CD holder, and then pulled out her old mp3 player from her jacket pocket, hooking it into Link's stereo with the connector cord. She went through the tracks until she found the one she was looking for – Requiem for a Dream, composed by Clint Mansell. It was a horrific song that was played with an orchestra, and it always reminded her of _him._ But she enjoyed the song anyway, despite the fact that it usually gave her nightmares eighty percent of the time.

Halfway through the song, Uzuki heard the door from the house leading to the garage open. She leaped to her knees and launched a knife which she kept handy in her pocket at what was coming through the door.

"Whoa!"

". . . Zant?" Uzuki yelled.

Zant flicked on the garage light, the sudden brightness harsh on Uzuki's eyes and forcing her to close them briefly.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked.

"I heard depressing music playing from the garage," Zant said. "You're playing it pretty loud."

Uzuki smirked, and then tried to relax herself in the backseats again.

"When did you get back?" Zant asked worriedly.

"A few hours ago," she replied. "I woke up out in the woods. I'm missing a finger."

Zant's eyes grew wide in shock. He quickly leaned over the door of the car to grab her hands and check them.

Uzuki wiggled all of her fingers. "Haha. Made you look."

Zant dropped her hands and glared at her. "That's not funny, Uzuki! I was really worried about you! I thought you got yourself killed!"

Uzuki smiled at him. "Aww, you sound like you actually care."

Zant grabbed her wrist and stared at her with an intense gaze.

"I _do_ care! Why do you think I've been sticking around like this for so long? I'm worried that something bad is going to happen to you!"

Uzuki sat up from the backseat and turned herself around until she was facing him. She leaned on the door frame, her head resting in the palm of her right hand.

"Don't be worried about me," she said softly. "Every runner dies eventually. I'm going to go down just like all the others."

Zant grabbed Uzuki's shoulder and continued to stare at her with his intense gaze.

"Not as long as I'm around," he growled.

Uzuki stared back at him, a devious smile growing on her face.

"Ooh, you're so in love with me, aren't you?" she snickered.

Zant's face turned red, and he jumped back.

"W-What? No, I'm not! Who would fall in love with _you_?"

"Sweetie, I can see your aura. Get those thoughts out of your head, I'm dating somebody else right now."

Zant sighed. "I hate you and your aura-reading ability . . ."

Uzuki opened the back door of the car and trudged out. She poked Zant in the forehead before heading for the door leading to the house.

"How are you wounds?"

"Fine. They sting."

"Good. That means they're getting better."

"Yeah, says you."

"Whatever."


	34. Escape!

**Okay, I had a crapload of fun writing this chapter. I think it's one of the chapters I've enjoyed writing the most, next to the one about Zant's experience in Uzuki's 'house'. I wanted to end the little moment between Link and Zelda with a funny extra chapter to sum up how Link actually got out of their house without Irwin and Clara knowing, so that's what this is :) Also, I've had this chapter done for a while, so that's why it was a quick update right after Chapter 33 . . . I hope you guys enjoy this chapter :D Please R&R!**

**ALSO for those of you who haven't noticed yet, I have put up a poll on my profile, with the question, "Who is your favorite pairing/relationship in Only Chosen Love so far?" I hope to see lots of answers! :D  
**

**-Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 34: Escape!**

"Zelda . . . ! Wake up . . . !"

Zelda moved slightly underneath the warm skin that was holding her tight. A few garbled words escaped her lips. Midna grabbed her sister's shoulder and began to gently shake it.

"Zelda, you have to get up . . ." Midna whispered. She started to poke Link's face where it was pressed right up against Zelda's head. "Link . . . ! Come on, sleepyheads, get up!"

Zelda wearily began to open her eyes. She slowly squirmed underneath Link's arms, and it took her a moment to piece together where she was and what had happened.

When she did, she sprang up from the bed, catching the now half-asleep Link off guard.

"Midna, get out of here!" Zelda shrieked in embarrassment. "Don't look! "

Midna started to laugh. "Oh, I don't mind . . . but Dad and Clara will if they catch you two here!"

"Oh, shit . . ." Link yawned as he stretched his arms out. Zelda jumped out of the bed, heading straight for her dresser for a fresh bundle of clothes.

"I'll keep a look out for them, just in case," Midna said. "Oh, and Link, you'll have to find a way to leave here without getting noticed by our parents. Zant went ahead and parked your car at Uzuki's place down street so that our folks would be convinced you were gone."

Link smiled at Zelda's step-sister. "Get out of here without getting caught? Easy."

Midna smiled back at him, and then left the room, shutting the door behind her. Zelda was already dressed when Link got out of the bed and started putting his own clothes on.

"Not really the way I would typically want to spend the morning after, but I guess it can't be helped," Link sighed as he buttoned up his wrinkled white dress shirt.

"I know," Zelda said sadly. "But right now we have to worry about getting you out of here without getting caught."

Link adjusted his tie, and put on the black overcoat without buttoning it. He quickly tied the laces on his shoes; decent enough, even though they were loose.

"Good?" Link asked Zelda, holding his arms out so she could see his casually-worn outfit.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, I guess. But, um, does it really matter? I mean, you're going to be running down street . . ."

"Ah, well," Link muttered. "Now, how are we going to do this? I'd jump out the window, but I don't want to damage your roof . . . or my bones."

"Well, if mom and Irwin are still asleep, you'll be able to sneak out easy," Zelda began. "But if they're already up, you're going to have some trouble . . . Midna and I could try to distract them for you."

"Alright," Link said. "Then let's get this over with. But I swear to God if Uzuki did anything to my car while it was at her place, I'll kill her."

Zelda laughed out loud. "Nah, the worst she did was probably have some fun in the backseat . . . if you know what I'm saying."

Link shuddered. "That doesn't make me feel any better . . . I'll just make sure nobody sits back there until I can get it cleaned."

* * *

Zelda and Midna casually walked downstairs to the kitchen, where both their parents were sitting enjoying their breakfast and reading the newspaper.

"Morning," Midna said innocently. "How was the party last night?"

"It was fantastic, as usual," Clara said happily. "Zelda, that boyfriend of yours is a real charmer, and so polite too! Isn't he, dear?"

Irwin, with his mouth stuffed with bagel, shrugged his shoulders. "Mmm," he replied.

"He's smart too! She really picked the right one for her this time, didn't she, dear?"

Irwin shrugged his shoulders again. "Mmm."

Clara rolled her eyes at him. "Well, all that matters is that he treats you with respect."

Zelda spotted Link standing across from her, at the other side of the room, behind her parents where they couldn't see him.

"Uh . . . y-yeah," she stammered nervously. "He's, um . . . really nice. He's got a lot of nice friends too." When Clara looked down to her tea, Zelda gestured with a nod of her head for Link to get out of the room. He nodded back, and started to quietly sneak through the hallway, towards the door.

_This is going to be close . . ._ Link thought as he inched his way closer. Suddenly, his foot caught on something. He looked down for a split second to see that his laces had come undone, and he was now tripping over them.

Zelda watched wide-eyed as Link fell to the floor. He tried to land quietly, but it still caught the parent's attention.

Irwin lifted his head from the morning paper. "What was that?" he asked.

Zant, who was in the living room, saw Link fell, and scurried over to him. He stood up from where Link was on the ground for Zelda's parents to see. Link hid quietly behind the counter.

"Uh, sorry, I just tripped," Zant said. "My mistake."

Irwin stared at Zant with distrust, but eventually turned back to his paper. "Quit being so clumsy, Zant," he growled.

"S-Sorry," Zant apologized again. He nudged Link in the side, telling him silently to get back up and get out of the house. Link gave him a thumbs-up, and started to crawl towards the door again. Zant followed close behind him.

"Uh, Dad, I'm just heading over to Uzuki's, alright?" he said to Irwin.

"I don't like you spending so much time with that girl," Irwin growled. "She has _issues_."

"What, and I don't?" Zant snickered.

Irwin turned around and scowled at his son. Link couldn't be seen because he was already behind the small amount of wall that was placed between the hallway and the kitchen.

"Don't try to be smart," Irwin hissed. "You know exactly what I mean. Are you saying you don't remember that little _incident_ last week? I'd rather not have to drag you out of that house again like a terrified dog."

"Trust me, Irwin, Uzuki's not that bad," Zelda cut in. She knew that the incident Irwin was talking about was the day Zant had a strange mental breakdown in Uzuki's house. "She may seem a little off, but that's just the way she is. She's still a good person. She was the one that taught Luna first-aid; if she hadn't, Link probably would have died when he had to get that thorn pulled out of his neck."

_Although he probably hates Uzuki for teaching Luna the first-aid . . . maybe then he wouldn't have had to worry about Link in the first place, _Zelda thought angrily.

Irwin hesitated for a moment. He finally replied, "Fine, but take your cellphone with you. If she does anything that's the slightest bit suspicious, call us right away. It would be a joy for me to see that animal put behind bars. Maybe they'd ship her off to the zoo."

Zant sighed, and grabbed his jacket. He pulled out the cellphone that was inside the jacket pocket to show him.

"Good," Irwin said, and turned back to his paper. "Come home before dinner."

"No prob," Zant replied. He grabbed the doorknob, opening the door for Link, and the two boys ran outside.

"Holy shit, that was a close one!" Link sighed in relief.

"Tell me about it!" Zant laughed back. "You're lucky I was there to save your ass!"

"Now if we can just make it to Uzuki's without –"

There was a loud hiss from the bushes. Suddenly, Zelda's cat jumped out, her body raised in an attack position and her fur standing on end. She snarled at them, showing off her white teeth, and protruding her cat nails.

"Shit!" Link swore. "Zelda's cat! I forgot the thing hates me!"

From inside the house, Zelda, Midna, Clara, and Irwin could all hear the cat screeching from outside.

"Hmm? I wonder what's got Tia all excited," Clara pondered.

Irwin immediately stood up from his chair. "Tia's never growled at anybody like that . . . unless they're strangers."

_Crap!_ Zelda thought. _Link must have run into Tia!_

Irwin headed for the door, and pulled on his sneakers. Then he grabbed his shotgun.

"Dad, really? A shotgun?" Midna said. "I think you're a bit more civilized than that. It's probably just a . . . travelling salesman or something."

Irwin chuckled. "All the more reason to shoot them, sweetie."

_Gah, that idiot!_ Midna thought as she stared out the window in the living room. She could see Link and Zant trying to make it around the hostile cat. _If Tia doesn't rip him to bits, Dad's going to shoot his head off! I've got to warn him! _

She tapped on the window, trying to grab Zant and Link's attention. When they saw her, she did a visual impression of Irwin, and pointed to the door.

"Uh oh, I think Dad's coming out!" Zant exclaimed.

"Is that what she's saying?" Link asked. "I thought she was inviting us back inside for bagels or something . . ."

"Ignore the damn cat! Get going!" Zant yelled. The two boys leaped over the cat. Tia tried to reach up with her claws, but she just missed them, and they were heading down the block at the fastest speed.

Irwin came out of the house with his gun, and immediately spotted Link.

"I see you over there!" he yelled, and shot at him with his gun.

_Is he trying to kill me?_ Link thought.

"Dude, your dad is insane!" Link yelled at Zant.

"Tell me something I don't know!" Zant laughed back. "Keep running!"

Irwin rushed back inside the house, and pulled on his jacket. "Clara, I'm heading out. Zelda's no good boyfriend was on our lawn, still in his suit – he never left."

"He was? Why did you shoot at him?" she said. "We could have invited him in for bagels and tea!"

"Clara, you don't understand, he wasn't heading _towards _the house – he was heading _away _from it!"

Clara stared at him. "So?"

Zelda started to sneak upstairs.

"_Zelda_," Irwin said in an intense voice.

"Y-Yes, Irwin?" Zelda stammered nervously.

"Link _did_ leave after the party, am I correct?" Irwin asked.

Zelda immediately nodded. "Yes, he did! You saw him leave in his car!"

Irwin made a low growling noise. "I'm getting to the bottom of this." Then he ran out of the door, and jumped into his truck.

Zelda and Midna sat down at the table.

"So why did you fall in love with him again?" Zelda asked her mom.

Clara took a sip from her tea. "Protection from the tigers."

Irwin started up the engine, and started to drive down the road, keeping an eye out for the two boys. His shotgun sat in the passenger seat next to him, and he kept his eyes on both sides of the road in case they were trying to make a break for it in the woods. He eventually spotted the boys sprinting towards the end of the road.

Irwin slowed the car down to keep up with the pace of the boys. He rolled his window down, and stuck his head out. "Pull over, boys!" he yelled.

"You're the one driving the car, Dad!" Zant laughed. "Why don't _you_ pull over?"

"Uh, Zant, I don't think this is the time for jokes . . ." Link muttered.

"Zant, you're in so much trouble right now!" Irwin yelled louder.

Link and Zant soon made it to Uzuki's small house. Uzuki was sitting on the driveway, drawing violent stickmen on the pavement with chalk.

"Uzuki, open the garage!" Link ordered. "Irwin's after us!"

"Ha-ha, shit!" Uzuki laughed. She jumped up from the pavement and hit the button on the garage building to open the door. Link and Zant ran inside the garage, Uzuki following behind them. Link quickly jumped into his car and started it. He drove it down the driveway, waving goodbye to Zant and Uzuki.

"Thanks, you two!" Link called.

"See ya, Link!" Zant yelled.

"ZANT!" Irwin screamed.

"Uh oh, looks like your old man is gonna get you now!" Uzuki laughed. "Run upstairs, hon, I've got this."

Zant nodded, and ran into the house through the extra door in the garage. Irwin was starting to drive after Link; Link's car had already hit sixty-five miles an hour. Irwin was just driving past Uzuki's house at the same speed as before, but he was about to speed up so he could catch Zelda's boyfriend.

"Hey! Mr. Big Boss Man!" Uzuki yelled out. Irwin stared at her with hate in his eyes. Uzuki grabbed a few of her smoke bombs and ran out of the garage, charging ahead of the car before Irwin could pick up speed.

"Eat _this_!" she cheered. Then she threw both the bombs right in front of his car, unleashing a countless amount of huge smoke clouds in front of Irwin and his car. Irwin was forced to stop his car so he wouldn't run into anything.

Uzuki did a victory cheer, and ran back inside her house with a wide, psychotic smile on her face. She ran upstairs to her room, where Zant was already staring out her window, watching Link drive away and Irwin sit frantically in a cloud of smoke and dust.

"Great job, Uzuki," Zant said.

Uzuki grabbed a vodka cooler out from under her bed, and pried the lid off with a switchblade. "No prob," she giggled. "It was kinda fun. But you're going to be in soooo much shit later."

Zant smiled at her, and approached her, his arms open for a hug. "Oh, I love you," he said.

Uzuki shot her hands up, keeping him away. "Whoa, there, buddy, hands off!" she growled. "Looking is reality – touching is in your dreams _only_!"

Zant laughed again, and sat down on her bed. "So, what did you think of Link's car?" he asked teasingly.

Uzuki scowled at him. "What do I look like to you, a street corner whore?" she hissed, taking a swig from her vodka cooler. She plopped herself down on the bed next to Zant.

A few silent moments passed.

Uzuki finally spoke up.

" . . . It wasn't too bad, I guess. Although, the seats could have been a bit comfier."


	35. A Family Reunion

**Well, it took a long time, but I finally finished chapter 35, and I also introduce Oni in this chapter :D and also, as you'll probably notice as you're reading, I've finally been able to get my computer working again with resolution and now I can play Team Fortress 2, so I've been rather obsessed with that lol. Hope this chapter was worth - what my fans tell me was 15 days - the wait! Please R&R :3**

"Then he used his fight money to buy two of every animal on Earth;  
and then he herded them onto a boat;  
and then he beat the crap out of every single one!  
And that day forward anytime a bunch of animals are together in one place it's called a _zoo!  
_. . . Unless it's a _farm!"_

-Soldier, _Team Fortress 2_

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 35: A Family Reunion**

Link stared at the photo of Zelda in his hand with a warm smile on his face.

"What are you looking so goofy for?" Blake sneered as he walked by the couch where Link was sitting.

"Nothing . . ." Link sighed, still looking at the photo.

Blake snatched the picture from Link's hand.

"Ooh, a picture of Zelda, huh?" Blake snickered.

"Give it back!" Link yelled, leaping to his feet. He stretched out for it, but Blake lifted it from his reach. Blake teasingly waved it above him.

"Blake, I'm serious!" Link growled, getting to his feet and pushing his uncle around, trying to get the photo back.

Just then, the phone rang. Blake stuffed the picture down the front of Link's shirt before heading over to his phone to answer it. Link pulled the photo out and tried to clean out any of the wrinkles.

Blake picked up the phone and began to speak into the receiver.

"Oh? Right, I forgot."

"No, you can still come over, don't worry about it."

"Yeah, Link's here."

Link perked his head up at the mention of his name.

Blake said goodbye, and then hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Link asked curiously.

"Oni," Blake replied. "He's coming in for a visit today. He's picking up Shade along the way."

"Oh, great," Link groaned, flopping back onto the couch.

Blake set the phone back onto its charger and went into the kitchen.

"You know, if it weren't for the fact that she lived so far away, I'd say you should get Zelda over to introduce her to your brothers," Blake suggested.

"Haha, very funny," Link sneered. "There's no way that's happening."

"I wasn't joking," Blake muttered. "I mean, you got to meet her family – it would be nice for her to meet ours."

"She met Shade – that's enough of our family she has to meet," Link grumbled as he curled up into a ball and snuggled into the couch.

"Come on, at least Oni doesn't bother you," Blake replied.

"Yeah, but . . ." Link didn't finish his sentence.

"But nothing!" Blake hissed. "I'm going to cook something up for the boys when they get here. Get your ass off the cough and make yourself look nice!"

Link lazily rolled off the couch, landing on the floor with a thump, and then wriggled his way like a worm towards the stairs. He went upstairs on all fours, until he made it to his room at the end of the hall. His room was rather empty, and all that was in it was the suitcase that hadn't been unpacked yet. He unzipped the bag and opened it, digging through the clothes inside until he found something 'nice' as Blake had asked him. He finally settled on a black t-shirt with short sleeves and dark blue jeans.

After he had dressed into his clean clothes, he went into the bathroom to check his face. He had a massive case of bedhead, and he realized that he was starting to grow a bit of muzzle on his face.

Link sighed and then proceeded to wash his face and shave his beard – he didn't know if Zelda had noticed his muzzle or not that morning, but he figured she didn't mind it because she didn't say anything about it. Maybe she _liked_ early-morning beards. But then again, he couldn't imagine her falling for the wild-man kind of guy.

After he had washed off the shaving cream, Link went to his room and booted up the laptop that he always kept at his uncle's – he wasn't much for Internet-surfing, and there were computers at the Academy, so he never saw the purpose in bringing the laptop with him. And much like his car, he didn't want it to get destroyed by Shade or Ganon.

Link signed into his email. A few emails from his dad asking about his school year – he skipped those – and advertisements.

_Never anything interesting . . ._ Link thought in defeat. That's why he had never worried about checking his email every five seconds – there was never anything there worth reading.

Just as he was about to sign out of his email account, Zelda started chatting with him.

_Hey, Link. That's weird, you're never signed in_.

Link started to type his response.

_Yeah, just checking my email while I'm here with Blake. Nothing as usual – I'm so popular LOL_

A few moments passed before Zelda replied.

_Irwin is really freaked out right now. He didn't get you with the shotgun, did he? I am SOOOO SORRY for that __

_Haha, don't worry about it, he could never catch me :P _

_Still, the guy is crazy. _

_I can agree with that :D_

A few minutes passed with no response. Link opened up another tab and checked his Facebook while he waited. Other than a friend request from Uzuki, there were no notifications.

_So what are you doing today?_ Zelda finally responded.

Link turned back to his email tab and quickly typed a response.

_My stupid brothers are coming over today,_ he wrote. _Blake is having both Shade and Oni for dinner and he's NOT LETTING ME LEAVE._

_Aww, that sucks_, Zelda replied. _But it can't be all that bad, right? I mean, you'll be with Blake so at least Shade won't be able to completely torture you :P _

_No, I just have to deal with him AND Oni to boot -_-' _

_Well, Oni doesn't sound that bad. _

_No, he's perfect. Absolute GOLD. That's why it sucks. I've got a lot to live up to._

_Nobody's asking you to live up to anything, Link :) If it makes you feel any better, I like you just the way you are 3_

Link's face warmed up with the smile that was growing.

_By the way, do you like morning beards?_

_Oh god, why?_

_LOL I didn't notice this morning but I had muzzle on my face XD And then I thought, "Huh, I wonder if Zel likes beards?" _

_Well, only a little bit . . . like if it's a bit of prickly muzzle, that's fine. Don't go all lumberjack beard on me though, Link :(_

_Nah, I figured that was how you felt about it. Don't worry, I have no intention to grow a beard._

_You with a beard . . . eww, I don't want to even think about it!_

_Well gee, I didn't think you were so disgusted by the thought :P _

_LOL You know what I mean, Link :3_

* * *

The doorbell rang.

"Link! Get the door!" Blake roared from the kitchen.

Link lazily got back up from the couch and went to answer the door. When he opened it, he was greeted by a white-haired man who was at least a foot taller than him and had various tribal tattoos along his arms.

"Oni," Link growled.

"Good afternoon, Link," Oni greeted his brother with a smile. Shade soon appeared from Oni's car.

"Hey, Uncle Blake!" Shade called as he barged into the house, pushing past Link. "Can I have my motorcycle back now?"

Blake smirked at Shade. "It's in the garage."

Shade gave his uncle a wide, toothy smile and then ran for the door that lead to the garage. A few moments later, they could hear the roar of the motorcycle. After a few moments, the engine cut off, and Shade came running back in.

"Aww, she sounds as healthy as ever, Blake," Shade sighed. "Thanks for looking after her."

"Why don't you say hi to your brother?" Blake said, grinning in Link's direction.

"Are you kidding me? I get enough of his face at school," Shade laughed. He brought an arm around Link's neck and pulled him in close. "How ya doing, little bro?"

"Get off me," Link hissed before pushing his brother's arm away.

"Aw, come on, at least smile a _little_," Shade laughed before bringing his hands up to link's face and pushing his lips up with his fingers.

"Go away," Link grunted. He took Shade's hands away from his face.

"It's nice to know you two are the same as always," Oni chuckled before stepping into the house. He took off his flipflops – for some reason he was always wearing flipflops, even during the winter – and set them by the door, and then stepped into the kitchen, where Blake was cooking a small chicken.

"It smells delicious, Uncle," Oni complimented him as he inhaled the scents of the spices and cooking meat.

Shade went into the living room and flopped onto the couch.

"Hey, that was my spot," Link grumbled.

"Sorry, little bro," Shade snickered.

Link rolled his eyes and then took a seat on one of the plush chairs near the couch.

"So, how was your trip?" Blake asked as he walked into the living room and sat down on Shade's legs. Oni followed and sat in the chair next to Link.

"Eh, nothing too bad," Oni replied. "The snowplows were out earlier to clean the roads, so there wasn't too much snow."

"It's a bit of a heavy snowfall this year, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I guess we can consider that a good thing – won't be much bugs around in the spring and summer if the winter kills them all off."

Link rested his head against the back of his chair. This was what it was always like with his brother Oni – creating idle conversation. He normally wouldn't mind, but it was just the way Oni was . . . it bugged him.

"How's school going for you?" Blake asked.

_Here we go . . . _Link thought before letting out a quiet sigh.

"It's going pretty well," Oni replied. "I made it onto the Dean's List this year."

"Oni, that's great!" Blake exclaimed. "That makes you one of the highest-standing students in the school."

Oni smiled. "Well, it'll sure help with finding a job after."

"What are you doing now?"

"Same as last year – I'm the tour guide at that history museum."

Link glanced in Shade's direction; he looked ready to fall asleep.

Blake looked at Link and immediately noticed his boredom.

"By the way, have you heard that Link has a girlfriend now?" Blake asked Oni, a devious smile growing on his face.

"Oh, does he now?" Oni said with a smile, turning his attention to Link with a sly smile. "Is she pretty?"

"No, she's really ugly, and she has three horns and fangs," Shade snickered from underneath Blake.

"Shut up, Shade," Link growled. "She's really pretty, and really nice. Unlike _Shade's _girlfriend."

"Whoa, you've got a girlfriend too?" Blake asked in surprise, staring at Shade wide-eyed. Oni stared too.

"Yep, her name's Ren – she's Link's ex-girlfriend."

"Ouch," Blake snickered.

"It's not funny," Link grumbled. "First I have to put up with Shade, and now that psychotic lunatic, Ren."

"I remember when you went out with her," Oni mumbled. "She didn't seem that psychotic."

"Well, not to other people," Link growled back. "But to me? Definitely."

"I'll admit, she is a bit on the crazy side," Shade agreed with a brief laugh. "But that's what makes things more _interesting_."

"Sure, pushing me into a thorn bush is _interesting_," Link sneered.

"No. Just fun as hell."

Link turned his gaze away from his idiot brother. He didn't want to remember anything from that awful day when he had landed face-first in the rose bush at the Academy. And he didn't need Shade embarrassing him about it again.

Blake soon got up from his chair to check the chicken in the oven.

Oni turned to face Link.

"So, Link, making any good memories?" Oni chuckled. "How are your friends doing?"

"They're all doing fine," Link grumbled. "Mikau and I are still in the guitar club, Sheik is at the top of his English class, Kafei has a crush, and Mido is an idiot."

Oni smiled. "And how is this Zelda?"

"She's fine, very nice, very funny, at the top of her judo club from Kakariko," Link muttered.

_Just tell him exactly what he wants to hear_.

"Wow, that's interesting," Oni said. "Do they have a judo club at the Academy? You should join it."

"No, there's no judo club."

The conversation continued like this for the next ten minutes – a back and forth confrontation between the two brothers that consisted of casual talk. Only laughter from Oni, and obscure glares from Link. Shade eventually zoned out by texting Ren.

Soon, dinner was finished, and Blake had the table ready for the boys. They all seated and began helping themselves to the meal.

"This is very good," Oni said to his uncle. "It's nice to sit down with you all and enjoy a dinner together."

"Mmhmm . . ." Shade mumbled before sending off a final text to his girlfriend. Then he dug into his chicken and potatoes.

Suddenly, Link's phone rang. Oni raised an eyebrow at him.

"Just a minute," Link sighed. "Sorry."

He answered his phone.

"LIIINKKKK!"

"Uh . . . who is this?" Link asked.

"Aww, you don't know who it is?" the girl sniffled. "That makes me sad . . ."

". . . Uzuki? How the hell did you get my number?"

"And I went to all the trouble of digging through Zelda's contacts without her permission . . . do you know how hard it was to sneak into her room with her evil dad hanging around?"

"Uzuki, what do you want? I'm kinda eating dinner."

"Oh, well excuse me for living!" she cried out. "Look, a bunch of us are getting together on Team Fortress 2 tonight. You _gotta_ join. You play TF2, right? Right?"

"Well, I haven't played in a long time, and I'm a little rusty . . ."

"We're getting a whole group together! Zelda's going to be playing too!"

". . . Since when does Zel play TF2?"

Uzuki groaned. "You really don't know anything about your own girlfriend, do you? She's a fucking master! She's mostly a medic, but sometimes she plays as a scout and she's got _killer_ aim! She should really take up being a sniper instead. We could really use her skills."

Link couldn't imagine Zelda playing as a scout, running around and beating people up with a baseball bat . . . well, maybe he could, if she was having a really bad day.

"Alright, when are you playing?" Link asked.

"All night, starting at eight," Uzuki replied.

"Nice. I'll be there."

"Sweet! Can't wait to blow your brains out."

Then she hung up. Link hung up his phone as well, and then turned it off.

"What did Uzuki want?" Shade asked.

"Turns out she's made up a team for TF2 for tonight," Link replied. "Going all night."

"Oooh, I've been dying to play TF2 with some friends," Shade snickered. "I make a pretty good spy, you know."

"I can't imagine why," Link snickered.

Oni stared in Link's direction. "I can't imagine all of you staying up all night playing such a silly game. It just seems like you could be doing something a little more . . . productive."

"Ah, lighten up, bro," Shade laughed. "It's awesome fun. And who says it isn't productive? It teaches you valid life skills – like how to blow a person's brains out with a minigun."

Oni rolled his eyes at them both.

"Them heavies got nothing on me," Shade snickered before finishing off his potatoes. "I just walk up behind them and BLAM! Stabbed right in the back."

"I usually play as a soldier," Link said. "They can blast holes through people's stomachs."

Oni turned pale. "Can we please talk about something that doesn't involve dismemberment or death?"

Shade laughed out loud. "Can't handle all the gory talk, huh, bro? That's fine with me."

Oni continued picking away at his chicken, trying to force the horrible images out of his mind.

Shade was the first to finish. When he was done, he picked up his dishes and set them into the sink to soak. Link followed soon after.

"That was great, Blake," Shade said, patting his stomach. "Best meal I've had in a long time. That cafeteria food, it . . . starts to get to you after a while."

Oni smiled, and then finished off his plate as well, taking it to the sink to soak in the water.

"I'll help you later with those dishes if you want, Uncle," Oni offered.

"Nah, that's fine," Blake said. "I know you've got exams coming up – you should go study for those."

Oni smiled back. "You sure?"

"Yeah, go on, get studying," Blake laughed before getting up out of his chair and heading to the sink to wash the dirty dishes.

Link checked the clock in the living room – seven o'clock. One hour until the online brawl; one hour for him put up with Shade and Oni until he was within the world of Team Fortress, blowing people's heads off and getting shot to death by heavies.

Oni had already made his 'studying station' on the couch, with binders spread and papers organized around him. Of course, he was a history buff, so he had all kind of thick textbooks about different cultures and ancient civilizations spread out around him.

"Blake, I'm going to go watch funny cat videos for the next hour," Link called to his uncle as he started up the stairs. He went to his room and started up his laptop again, going straight to his favorite site for memes and opening another tab for Youtube.

"Alright, Nyan-cat, here I come."

* * *

Uzuki sat alone in her bed, a laptop cushioned on her lap. She had her email open, and was chatting with her boyfriend, Peter on one page, and her best friend, Mikumi, on another.

_Just a second, Peter,_ Uzuki typed. _Brb'ing._

A minute passed.

_Alright._

_Curse you and your slow typing_, Uzuki thought angrily. Peter was always known for not being much of an MSN chatter, but it was easier to talk to his girlfriend online than over the phone, especially with her little 'problem' still crawling around. Of course, chatting was just as hard.

Uzuki brought up the chatting page with Mikumi.

_I'm inviting you into the chat with me and Peter, alright?_ she typed.

_Yaaay 3_

Uzuki went back to the other page with Peter and sent an invite for Mikumi. He soon appeared in the room.

_Three . . . _Uzuki began.

Peter typed his response quicker than normal.

_?_

_Two . . . _Mikumi typed.

_Mikumi, how did you . . . ?_

_One!_

_OMG OMG Mikumi how are you doing? _

_I'm doing good, really really good! How are you, Peter?_

_Hey, Peter, did you hear about that new videogame?_

_Yeah, it sounds awesome!_

_. . . Is this your idea of a joke? Guys, it doesn't make a difference to me lolol_

_Mikumi, we're playing TF2 later, you gotta join us! What about you Peter? Do you wanna play?_

_Let's play some horror games too, Uzuki! Wanna play, Peter?_

_Guys, it's not working, seriously. And I'd love to play some TF2 :D_

_. . . It's no use, Mikumi, he's too much of a dork; it goes right through him._

_Indeed . . ._

_-sighs- that went a lot better in my head :P_

_You over-think things a little too much, Uzuki :P but it was a nice attempt lol_

_I'll get you Peter, just you wait :D_

Suddenly, the screen started going wonky, like a video tape that was suffering from visual tearing.

Uzuki rolled her eyes.

_Just a minute guys, he's back again._

_EEEK be careful Uzuki!_

_I agree with Mikumi, you shouldn't have to be dealing with this . . . please, be careful._

_Nah, I just gotta show that son of a bitch who's boss._

Uzuki set down her laptop for a brief moment to bring her foot up and stomp it down on the hardwood floor.

"Fuck off, you!" she yelled down to the floor. Suddenly, she heard a rustling of trees from outside. She looked out her window to see a faceless man wearing a suit standing by the tree line on the other side of the street.

"Did you not here me the first time? I said fuck off!" she screamed across the street.

A loud screeching noise suddenly came from her laptop.

"Do you mind?" she continued to yell. "I'm trying to have a social life here! Leave my stuff alone!" She pulled her head back inside and slammed the window down hard, pulling down the blinds afterwards to block out the outside world.

Uzuki sat down on her bed again and waited for the screeching and the visual tearing to subside.

_Alright, I'm back_, she typed.

_Welcome back,_ said Peter. _Are you okay?_

_I'm fine,_ she replied.

_Man, if I were living in that house, I'd be terrified O_O _Mikumi wrote.

_Please, he'll have to think twice before coming back here again. _

Her screen began to flicker again.

"Hey!" Uzuki yelled at the ceiling. "What did I just say two minutes ago? Get the hell out of here!"

_Sorry about that, he's being a real dick today._

_Show em' who's boss, Uzuki-chyan 3_

_Hey, why are you sending hearts to my girlfriend?_

_It's . . . just an emoticon dude . . . calm down . . . ; ;_

* * *

_Hero_Link: Okay guys, I've had an hour of Nyan-cat in my system and I'm ready to kill some noobs._

_Shinigami_Uzuki: Alright, now the party's started! Let's get our shooting on!_

_Hero_Link: Are you going with the Heavy class? What team are you on?_

_Shinigami_Uzuki: Red, cause' red is way cooler of a color than blue._

_~ Zelda ~: Hey guys, sorry if I'm late – my server's being a little wonky today._

_Hero_Link: Hey Zel. _

_~ Zelda ~: Huh, I didn't know you'd be joining us :D I didn't know you played TF2_

_Hero_Link: Same goes for you._

_Flexi: Come on, guys, let's get started already!_

_Artistic_Genius: What round are we going for? Is it something simple?_

_Shinigami_Uzuki: Let's do Payload, that one's simple and to the point._

_Flexi: I'm game for that._

_Artistic_Genius: Sure._

_Hero_Link: Alright, I'll find a server for Payload – you guys join me after._

_~ Zelda ~: Gotcha. See you in there 3_

Link selected the Payload game, and his browser began searching for servers. Soon, he was put into a room. Five minutes later, everyone else was there too. When they had all gathered, it was a group consisting of Link, Zelda, Shade, Uzuki, Mikumi, Peter, Sheik, Mikau, Mido, Ren, Kafei, and even Zant and Midna.

_Shinigami_Uzuki: This group got a lot bigger than I thought it would O_O_

_~ Zelda ~: SHOOT FIRST ASK QUESTIONS LATER NYAAAA_

_Zantisawesome: Who's the spy who keeps stabbing me?_

_Flexi: Uh . . . that'd be me w_

_Zantisawesome: YOU SUCK._

_Flexi: awyeah . jpg_

Link watched as he got shot. The round started over, and the server started loading up a new location.

_Link_Hero: Alright guys, we need to make up a battle strategy_

_~ Zelda ~: I agree with Link. Maybe we can think of some kind of way to get past their heavies; they've got a lot._

_Flexi: Not to mention those medics that are Ubercharging them to boot :P_

_Link_Hero: Well, we can all circle their encampment and send an Ubercharged Heavy in first – that'd be you, Uzuki and Sheik._

_XxSheikxX: Got it, bro._

_Link_Hero: Alright, and we'll have Mikumi sneak in behind the enemy lines and work his magic._

_Flexi: Yay, I get to stab people :D_

_Link_Hero: Alright, we'll go in on my signal . . ._

_Shinigami_Uzuki: Hey guys, sorry I was afk for a few mins. Heating up some chicken. Alright, let's do this! LEEEERRROOOYYYYY JEENNKKKIINNNSSS!_

_Link_Hero: Oh my god, did she . . . did she just run in on her own?_

_XxSheikxX: She's going to ruin all our planning!_

_Flexi: Aww, she pulled off a Leeroy Jenkins . . . I'm proud of her . . ._

_~ Zelda ~: Come on, she's already gone in! We have to go fight now._

_Link_Hero: Dammit . . . _

Just like everybody else, Link sent his character into the battle spot where bullets were already flying.

_Link_Hero: Dammit, Uzuki, why do you gotta do this kind of shit?_

_=Mido: We had a PLAN, Uzuki!_

_Shinigami_Uzuki: Oh, you did? I told you, I was afk!_

_Link_Hero: Yeah, you told us – AFTER we had done the planning!_

_Shinigami_Uzuki: Well, sorry 'bout that. I'll be there for the next one!_

_ Midna: I swear to god, Uzuki . . ._

_Zant: Don't worry about that right now guys, there's a sniper hiding somewhere._

_XxSheikxX: Yeah and he just shot me. Watch out guys, he's hiding up in the highest building._

_~ Zelda ~: Yeah, I noticed him there earlier. _

_Shade-is-cooler-than-Link: Can we do something about Ms. Leeroy Jenkins there? She's going to get herself blown to . . . too late, just did. She should have watched out for that pyro._

_MikauMikau: Ouch. That looks like it hurts._

_Shinigami_Uzuki: YOU FUCKING PYRO I HATE THE SHIT OUT OF YOU._

_Artistic_Genius: Haha, got you 3_

_Shinigami_Uzuki: I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WAS YOU WHY ARE YOU ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE WRAAAAHHH_

_Flexi: Ah, I'm enjoying this very much :)_

_Ren 3: You're a fucking idiot, Uzuki._

_Shinigami_Uzuki: At least I have chicken. _


	36. Mido and Saria

**So yeah, it's been a while since I've updated, and I apologize for that ;) Had a bit of writer's block for this chapter, but hopefully it came out alright and all of you readers enjoy it. These next several chapters will dig into the relationship lives of the other guys - including Sheik, Mido, Kafei, and Mikau, as well as others - who don't get as much main page time during Only Chosen Love :) Hopefully the chapters won't get too boring as I put them up. These next few chapters may also help make the poll I put on my page less apt for LinkxZelda answers (of course these chapters aren't just for that reason, it's also because these guys don't get much page time and they deserve it ;)) **

**Nothing much else but that, so please, enjoy the chapter! And if you have anything against (or for) these next several chapters about the other guys, send me your opinion via review or PM. I always like to hear your input, and I'd like to keep Only Chosen Love enjoyable for every reader :)**

**-Shinigami-Zelda-sama **

**(apparently one of my ZU friends thinks this username is weird :P I beg to differ lol)**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 36: The Boys' Day Out – Mido and Saria**

Mido knocked on the door for a second time. After a brief moment of waiting, Saria answered the door.

"Hey, Mido!" she greeted him with a smile.

"Hey," Mido said back. "Are you all ready?"

Saria stepped out of her house, closing the door behind her. She was dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a flowery top, and a dark green sweater that matched her bright green hair. She had a small bag hanging off her left shoulder.

"Yep, I'm ready if you're ready," Saria replied.

Mido smiled back and then guided her to his car. She sat next to him in the passenger's seat. Mido started the car and drove off down the dirt road through Kokiri Village. They drove down the path that was surrounded with luscious trees and exotic plants. A thick layer of snow blanketed the ground around them, the dirt road having been cleared earlier for the cars to pass through.

"So . . . what do you want to do today?" Mido asked as he turned on the heating to warm them up from the winter breeze.

Saria snuggled back into the seat, her sweater buttoned up tightly to keep her body warm.

"Oh, it doesn't matter," she sighed. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"Well, they're having a snow-sculpture building contest in Hyrule Castle Town today before the New Year's Eve ceremony. I thought we could go watch that."

"Ohh, I went to that once when I was a kid!" Saria said happily.

"I went last year and the statues were pretty impressive," Mido replied.

"I'd love to go." Saria rested her head against the head of the passenger seat. The drive to Hyrule Castle Town would be a bit long, but she didn't mind.

Fortunately, Mido knew another road he could take. After an hour of driving – a trip that would normally take two hours – they made it to the city.

"Wow, that was quick," Saria giggled when she saw they were already on the city roads. "I wish I had known about that shortcut earlier."

Mido got out of the car and went to her side, offering a hand out to help out of the car. She took his hand and let him guide her to the area of the city that was closed off for the competition. It was set up in a circle shape, with bleachers all around it for visitors to sit and watch. And of course, the centre was filled with thick layers of snow for the competitors to build the sculptures with.

"Looks like people are already showing up," Saria observed, looking at the rows of people that were seated in the bleachers.

Mido lead her to an empty spot on the bleachers.

"Well, the competition can be pretty long," Mido explained. "It gives the competitors plenty of time to make something really extraordinary."

Mido and Saria sat down next to each other on the bleachers, watching as the competitors entered the ring. Mido checked his watch. It was four o'clock – the competition would start any minute and end around six, followed by the New Year's Eve celebration at midnight. Of course, there were lots of other events that were being held as well to fill in the time between the competition and midnight.

"Wow, these guys look pretty serious," Saria giggled. "Look at that guy!" She pointed to a muscular man with sideburns and a pipe clenched between his teeth.

"Wait a minute . . ." Mido immediately recognized the black-haired boy among the competitors that looked an awful lot like Link. "Is that . . . Shade?"

Saria peered in the direction Mido was looking, and smiled. "Yeah, I think it is! And look, there's Ren!" She pointed out the blond-haired girl who was taunting the competitors with Shade by her side.

"Huh. Too bad Link isn't here to see this," Mido snickered.

"Well, he might show up," Saria said. "Link's not the kind of guy to miss out on fun times like these. We might see him later on."

"Maybe."

Mido and Saria watched together as the referree started the competition with a wave of a red flag, and the competitors began. There were four teams – Shade and Ren, two older-looking teenage boys, the sideburn guy and a tan girl with curly hair, and a teenage couple. They watched the four teams build up similar-looking lumps of snow, building them up higher and higher until they were pretty big.

"I guess that's a smart idea, to just build up a big pile of snow and work from that," Mido muttered.

"I wasn't so sure about the competitors, but they're actually pretty good at this," Saria said in amazement. "They're pretty quick to work too."

Mido looked around, and then stood up from the bleacher.

"There's a hot chocolate booth over there," Mido said. "Do you want any?"

"Sure," Saria replied. "I have some money if-"

"No, don't worry about it!" Mido snickered. "It's on me."

Mido left for the hot chocolate booth and stood in the medium-length line. He could see Sheik a few feet away, in front of the person who was ahead of him.

"Hey, Sheik!" Mido called him, waving his hand to get his attention.

Sheik turned, and smiled at the sight of Mido's face.

"Oh, hey there, Mido," Sheik greeted him. "You here for the sculpture contest too?"

"Yeah, I'm here with Saria."

"Oh? I'm here with Malon."

Mido smiled. "Well, that's convenient. We should hang out until the fireworks."

"Sounds fun to me. Have you seen Link anywhere? It's not like him to miss a New Year's Eve festival."

Mido shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, I haven't seen him, but I'm sure he'll show up somewhere. Shade's here you know."

"Is he?" Sheik asked, his eyes widening.

"Yeah!" Mido said with a wide grin. "He's one of the competitors!"

"I left to get hot chocolate so I haven't seen the players yet . . ." Sheik grumbled. "This line is insanely long."

"Tell me about it," Mido mumbled. "But think about it, if Shade's here, then Link is bound to show up too."

Sheik nodded. "Definitely."

The two boys waited in the line for a few more minutes; finally, they were at the front of the line, and they bought two cups of hot chocolate each. They walked together back to the arena, where Saria and Malon had already found each other.

"Hey, Malon," Mido greeted the redhead when he made it to his seat. He handed Saria the cup of hot chocolate, and then began to drink his own. It warmed him up in a mere second.

"Oh, hey," Malon replied. "It's great to see you. Are you enjoying your break?"

"Yeah, it's going pretty well," Mido snickered. "Sleeping in, kicking back, playing video games . . ."

"Sounds like you're all set then," Malon giggled.

Sheik watched the contestants, but when his eyes set on the tan girl and the tall guy with the sideburns, he nearly choked on his drink.

"T-That's . . . Uzuki and Peter!" he gasped.

"You know them?" Mido asked curiously.

"Yeah, Uzuki performed at the winter dance," Sheik replied. "And Peter came to our dorm room the next morning looking for her. We helped him search for her, and we found her passed out in Ganon's room."

"In _Ganon_'_s_ room?" Malon gasped.

"Yeah, turns out they had been playing a few drinking games the night before," Sheik snickered. "We were in and out before he woke up. Peter is Uzuki's boyfriend."

"Oh," Mido said. "Well, they seem to make a good team . . . if only I knew what they were making."

Saria and Malon both tilted their heads, trying to understand the odd shapes that Uzuki and Peter were making with the snow.

"Beats me," Malon snickered. "Look at Shade though, he's doing a pretty good job."

The four teenagers watched as Shade built up something that looked like some kind of fortress with a mote and spikes all around it.

"Deadly," Sheik muttered before taking a sip from his hot chocolate.

They sat there and watched the competition for the next half hour, going back for occasional hot chocolates and chatting amongst themselves about their holiday break and what they would do when they went back to school. After about an hour and a half, most of the competitors were finished – they worked pretty fast with the snow, and by the end of the competition, everybody had something unique to show off to the judges and the crowd.

"Wow, they're pretty efficient," Sheik chuckled. "Shade built up a pretty good battle fort. He even made little soldiers and cannons."

"That girl over there made a very neat magazine kiosk," Malon pointed out. "I think I see Opera magazine in there . . ."

"What did Uzuki and Peter make?" Saria asked.

Mido stared at it. "It looks like a . . . guy in a suit. Hmm. What's coming out of his back?"

"I can't tell from here. That's weird how they got the snow to curve like that," Sheik shuddered.

"It's . . . kinda scary," Malon whispered.

The group waited for the final results from the judges. Five minutes passed, and finally the head judge came out to give out the results of the competition. With his little microphone in hand, he began to speak to the crowd.

"Well, we have a lot of interesting sculptures this year," he began. "And as always, we had to think over it a lot on who won. We shall begin by naming off the third and second place winner."

He brought up a little piece of paper and adjusted his small, round glasses.

"In third place is Uzuki Kasahara and Peter Larken, with their sculpture, 'The Tall Man'," he announced.

The crowd clapped and cheered.

"In second place is Shade Kokiri, with his sculpture, 'Very Cool Battle Fort'," he chuckled.

More clapping and cheering.

"And finally, in first place . . . Ana Ferra's life-size replica of Spongebob Squarepant's pineapple house, hollowed out from the inside and completely furnished!" the man announced.

"Yeah, I figured she'd win," Sheik snickered.

"Completely furnished too?" Mido wondered. "That's why she was in there for so long . . . she's pretty fast to be able to do that in two hours."

"Two hours well spent," Malon laughed. "I wonder if that girl will let us walk inside of the house . . ."

"It's pretty creative, that's for sure," Mido said. "I wonder if Shade hollowed out his battle fort."

"I'm still creeped out by Uzuki and Peter's sculpture," Saria shuddered. "I hope that thing doesn't really exist . . . it's scary . . ."

"Don't worry about it," Mido laughed. "It's probably just some silly Internet fad."

The teenagers watched as Uzuki went to Shade's fort and demolished the snow soldiers underneath her feet, Shade and Peter both laughing as they watched her. Then she went ahead and walked into the pineapple house that had been built by Ana Ferra.

"Well, they're opening up a pie eating contest in about twenty minutes," Sheik said, looking at his watch to check the time. "Wanna go watch it?"

"Ugh, a bunch of gross guys stuffing their faces with pie?" Malon hissed. "Sounds disgusting, but sure, why not? I've got nothing to lose."

* * *

"Wow, I can't believe he threw up all over your shoes."

"So much for having nothing to lose."

Malon stared down at her shoes, which had just been cleaned by staff after having an overweight man throw up all over them from eating too much pie at the pie-eating contest.

"Shut up, guys! It's not funny!" Malon yelled, her face a bright red.

Sheik took Malon's hand. "It's alright, Malon," he told her. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel any better?"

Malon shook her head. "Just don't take me to any more food-eating contests!"

Sheik smiled. "That's totally fine."

Mido checked his watch. "It's nearly eight now, guys."

"They're starting to play some music and stuff over in the main area," Sheik said, pointing over to where a stage was set up with band players going up with their instruments in hand. "They also have a video game station – they're having all kinds of tournaments over there."

"The video game station sounds like it would be fun," Mido snickers.

"Do you two want to check it out?" Sheik asks Malon and Saria.

Malon smiles. "Sure, why not?"

Saria nods in agreement. "It may not be so bad – I'm not good at video games, but it may be fun to watch."

The four teenagers made their way through the crowd, until they made it to the small building that was dedicated completely to video games. Several television screens were set up with different game systems hooked up to each one, and kids were having wireless handheld battles in another corner of the room.

"Whoa, they really went all out with this," Sheik said in awe as he looked around the room. He saw that one television was set up with Call of Duty, and another with Mario Kart.

"Hey, looks like Uzuki's here too," Sheik pointed out, pointing over to where Uzuki was playing an old Nintendo 64 game. He went over to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Can't look right now!" Uzuki grunted. "Trying to concentrate!"

Sheik stared at the screen she was focusing on – it looked like some kind of puzzle game with Pokemon in it. Her fingers were moving rapidly along the N64 controller, moving the blocks around onscreen and creating colored matches, one after the other.

"She's pretty quick at that," Malon gasped. "Look at everyone else."

Sheik nodded in agreement when he saw the other players, most of them moving not even half the speed at which Uzuki was. She had to have been playing the game for years to get at a skill level like that.

In forty short seconds, the round ended, and Uzuki smiled in victory. Then she finally turned around to face Sheik.

"Oh, hi there," she greets him. "Uh . . .have we met before?"

Peter, who was standing right next to Uzuki and watching her play with the same amazed look as everyone else, turned to face Sheik as well.

"Oh, it's you," Peter said. "Uzuki, this is Sheik – he's one of Link's friends. He helped me and Link find you that night after the winter dance."

"Ah, right," Uzuki snickered. "You were in that TF2 game with us the other night. You make a pretty bitching soldier, you know that?"

"Well, I had no choice," Sheik grumbled. "_Somebody_ ran in without us."

"Hey, I was warming up some chicken!" Uzuki shouted. "Excuse me for being hungry!"

Mido looked around, and saw the table where the Mario Kart game was set up.

"Hey, let's go check out the Mario Kart tournament," Mido said to her.

Saria smiled and followed him as he led her to the table. Two boys were squaring off against each other – one playing as Bowser and the other as Boo – and were nearing the finish line.

"Heh, I remember playing this game with Link when we were younger," Mido said with a smile. "It can get pretty intense."

"A Mario game?" Saria snickered, giving him a curious look.

"Hey, Mario can be pretty hard sometimes!" Mido laughed.

When the round ended – the boy playing as Bowser won – the manager for the Mario Kart tournament stepped up.

"Alright, folks, this tournament is nearly wrapped up," he said to the group of people. "While we get the final rounds set up, let's leave this game open to anyone who hasn't joined the tournament and hasn't gotten a chance to play yet – this will also give you an opportunity to go watch other people at the other tournaments. We should be done in about ten minutes."

Most of the kids dispersed, but Mido and Saria stayed.

"Want to try it?" Mido asked her.

Saria stared at the remote in front of her, and then sighed.

"Sure, but you'll have to teach me," she giggled.

"Of course," Mido replied. He took the first player remote, and she took the second, and he started to guide her through the controls. They selected their characters – Luigi for Mido, and Peach for Saria – and then went ahead to select their track.

"Alright, so you want to keep the A button pressed down at all times," Mido told her. "If you don't keep it pressed, your car won't drive."

"Um . . . o-okay," Saria giggled.

"Use the control stick to turn," he continued to explain, taking her thumb and placing it over the control stick. "And the X button to throw an item, if you happen to get one. They're scattered over the tracks as boxes and they're completely randomized."

"Okay," Saria replied.

"If you want, you can also drift while driving," Mido continued, taking her index fingers on both hands and gently placing them over top the L and R buttons. "If you're turning left, hold in the L button – if you're turning right, the R button. This helps a lot when making sharp turns, not to mention if drift hard enough you'll get a speed boost when you release it. You don't have to use this, but it's just a tip."

"I got it," Saria said. "So, A button to drive, X button to throw an item, L and R buttons to drift. Easy."

"Oh, and B button to brake," Mido added.

"And B button to brake," Saria repeated with a smile.

Mido selected one of the easier tracks. "Alright, you ready?"

Saria nodded. "Ready."

The countdown started, and in three seconds, Mido and Saria took off, their karts barrelling down the track. Saria managed to stay right next to Mido, but fell behind a few feet when the first sharp turn came and she forgot to drift.

"Oops," Saria giggled, and fixed her fingers back onto the L and R buttons so that they would be ready next time.

They kept driving, and finished the first lap still next to each other. Mido drove through an item box and ended up with a lightning bolt, so he used it and shrunk Saria down to a miniscule size.

"What?" Saria gasped. "Haha! That's so funny!" She laughed out loud as she watched her character jump around in their kart, trying to put out the smoke that had emerged from the lightning bolt hitting their bodies. After a few moments, she returned to regular size.

When Saria drove through the next item box, she ended up with a mushroom. When she pressed X to use it, her character got a speed boost, pulling ahead of Mido. At the next turn, Saria remembered to drift, and got a speed boost from the turn, pushing her even further ahead.

"Hey, you're pretty good at this," Mido said as he watched her grab a few more speed boosts along the track.

Saria smiled back, and during the last lap, crossed the finish line first. She giggled softly as she watched her character do a little victory dance in their kart.

They both set their remotes down and cleared the way for two more kids who wanted to play.

"That was pretty impressive," Mido praised her as they walked out of the building. "You sure you don't have some kind of hidden video game talent?"

Saria giggled at his comment. "I don't think so . . . I never played video games much as a child. I guess I never really found one that I could enjoy."

"Well, you sure seemed to enjoy Mario Kart."

Saria smiled, and took Mido's hand. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Mido and Saria soon came across a bench, so they sat down to rest their feet. It was still rather chilly outside, especially now that night-time was approaching, but the two teenagers kept themselves warm with their winter jackets wrapped tightly around themselves.

Saria, who had been sitting a couple feet away from Mido, slid in a little closer. Then she placed her hand over his where it was sitting against the bench, the feel of her skin immediately warming his.

Mido looked down at her and tried to smile the best he could – honestly, he was terrified. He had always like Saria but had never gathered the courage to ask her out before. So when they went to the dance together, it seemed like a lucky break for him.

"I had a lot of fun today," Saria said to him.

"Well . . . there's still a lot of stuff left to do in the day," Mido snickered quietly. "You're going to have lots more fun."

"I know," Saria said. "I know I'll have lots of fun. Because I'm with you."

Mido's face turned red in embarrassment. He suddenly wasn't worried about the cold air outside – in fact, he was starting to feel a little stuffy. He unzipped his jacket to let some of the cool air come in.

"Mido, are you sweating?" Saria asked. Then she burst into laughter. "Are you . . . embarrassed?"

Mido looked away, getting more anxious and embarrassed by the second.

Saria squeezed his hand. "Hey, you don't have to be nervous around me."

Mido took a breath, still in the midst of calming himself. "I-I know, I just-"

Saria held a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"Do you like me, Mido?" she asked him, her bright green eyes looking into his.

Mido stared at her for a brief moment that seemed like hours. Finally, he managed to get the words sorted out in his mind and into his mouth.

"Yes, I do," Mido told her. "I've always liked you. You're beautiful, and kind, and funny, and-"

Before he could finish, Saria leaned up and placed her soft lips gently on his.

When she pulled away, she had a warm smile on her face.

"You only had to say yes."

* * *

**A/N: So this is how the chapters are going to be going on for the next several updates - pretty much just covering this single day from the perspectives of different guys and their girlfriends. **

**Next up will be SheikxMalon :) **

**-Shinigami-Zelda-sama**


	37. Sheik and Malon

**Hey everyone,**

**A bit of a long wait for this chapter, but it's up! The next pairing for this arc will hopefully be up soon :) It'll be a couple that we don't really see much of ;)**

****EDIT: I fixed the repeated sentence that was discovered by user Jupsi. Thank you for finding this mistake so that I could fix it :) **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 37: The Boys' Day Out – Sheik and Malon**

_This is . . . embarrassing. _

Sheik was standing there at the door of his house, forcing a smile at Malon, who had arrived at his house in her car. It sucked that he didn't have his own car, and it sucked even more that he had to be the one to get picked up for a date. Of course, to him, there was nothing wrong with having a girl pick up a guy for a date . . . but it just felt weird sometimes.

"Hey, Sheik," Malon said with a grin. "Sorry I'm a little late – Dad slept in and forgot to wake me, and then I had to drop off Romani at her figure skating practice, and Cremia had to get the car back to me before that because she had to run an errand. It's been crazy all morning."

True, she had said she would be there at two, but it was already three-thirty. Thankfully they lived in the city, so they didn't have to travel far to get where they wanted to go.

"Hey, it's no problem," Sheik replied as he got into the passenger seat next to Malon. "I keep forgetting you have siblings."

"Yep," Malon sighed as she put the car into drive. "A younger sister and an older sister – so I'm kinda caught in the middle. Do you have any siblings?"

Sheik shook his head. "No, I'm a single child."

"You're lucky," Malon snickered. She reached for the car heater and turned it on. "My sisters are great, but they can be a real pain in the you-know-what."

Sheik smiled. "So what are we going to do first at the festival?" he asked. "They've always got all kinds of stuff set up there."

"Well, I figured we could just walk around until we found something," Malon said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"That sounds like a good plan to me."

They drove for about ten minutes through the city, until they made it to the part of the area where it was very open and cut off from traffic. Many tents, kiosks and booths were set up, and one area almost appeared to be a ring of some sorts.

"Hey, let's check that out," Sheik said, motioning his hand towards the arena-like area.

"Sure," Malon agreed, and followed him to the spot where bleachers were set up surrounding a round, cut off area. There were already people sitting in the bleachers.

When they sat down, Malon stared at the high piles of snow they had clumped up throughout the spot.

"I think it's supposed to be some kind of snow-sculpture building contest," she observed.

"Oooh, that will be neat to watch," Sheik replied. "I wonder when it starts . . ."

Sheik looked around – there were already people in the bleachers, so that showed a good sign of it starting soon.

"It's kind of cold out," Sheik said to Malon. "How about I get us some hot chocolate?"

Malon smiled. "Sure, if you don't mind."

"Nah, I don't mind." Sheik stood up from the bleacher and started to head for the booth that already had a small line, where the staff was handing out hot chocolate beverages in styrofoam cups.

Sheik sighed, and then took his place amongst the line with everybody else. Five minutes passed and he was getting closer to the booth, when someone called his name.

"Hey, Sheik!"

Sheik turned his gaze to see Mido, who was standing just a couple people behind him. He smiled and said, "Oh, hey there, Mido. You here for the sculpture contest too?"

Mido nodded. "Yeah, I'm here with Saria."

"Oh? I'm here with Malon," Sheik replied.

Mido grinned widely. "Well, that's convenient. We should hang out until the fireworks."

That seemed like a good idea to Sheik, so he nodded and replied, "Sounds fun to me. Have you seen Link anyway? It's not like him to miss a New Year's Eve festival."

_Not to mention he's always showing up at stuff like this. You can't go to any social event without Link being there. _

Mido shrugged his shoulders to Sheik's question. "Nah, I haven't seen him, but I'm sure he'll show up somewhere. Shade's here, you know."

"Is he?" Sheik asked in surprise.

"Yeah!" Mido exclaimed with a laugh. "He's one of the competitors!"

Sheik was surprised. But he figured it was something Shade would do. "I left to get hot chocolate so I haven't seen the players yet . . ." Sheik muttered. "This line is insanely long."

"Tell me about it," Mido said in a low voice before shoving his hands into his pockets. "But think about it, if Shade's here, then Link is bound to show up, too."

"Definitely."

* * *

"So yeah, that's usually how New Year's Eve goes for us every year."

Saria stared at Malon wide-eyed.

"So your sister actually does that every year?" she asked. "Wow. I can't believe she thinks there are actually aliens prowling around during New Year's Eve."

"Well, Romania comes up with some crazy theories," Malon laughed. "The New Year's Eve aliens always takes the gold though."

"I can imagine," Saria giggled. "I wish I had siblings like that. I don't even _have_ any siblings – I have a cousin who is like a sister to me, but she's kind of . . . disturbed. She's always going on about forest spirits and boys who wear skulls for faces and stuff like that. It's kind of scary sometimes when she talks like that."

"Is she mentally ill?" Malon asked curiously.

"I don't think so," Saria sighed. "I think she just lets her mind get away from her sometimes."

As the girls were chatting, Sheik and Mido soon showed up at the bleachers again, both of them with two hot chocolates in their hands.

"Hey, Malon," Mido greeted Sheik's girlfriend with a smile before taking a seat next to Saria.

"Oh, hey," Malon replied. "It's great to see you. Are you enjoying your break?"

"Yeah, it's going pretty well," Mido replied. "Sleeping in, kicking back, playing video games . . ."

Malon giggled at him. "Sounds like you're all set then." She could imagine that was what Sheik was doing with his holiday break too.

Suddenly, Sheik's eyes opened wide and he leaned forward onto his bleacher, to the point that he would have fallen off if he wasn't holding onto the edges.

"T-That's . . . Uzuki and Peter!" he yelled out loud, pointing to the contestants that had just entered the ring. He recognized them immediately – Uzuki with her curly brown hair, piercings, and tattoos, and Peter with his goatee, sideburns, and grey golf hat.

"You know them?" Mido asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"Yeah," Sheik replied, "Uzuki performed at the winter dance. And Peter came to our dorm room the next morning looking for her. We helped him search for her, and we found her passed out in Ganon's room."

"In _Ganon's _room?!" Malon exclaimed, her eyes widening.

Sheik could admit, he never liked thinking about it either. He was still amazed by the fact that someone could actually hang out with Ganon without being totally trampled over . . . or vomiting.

"Yeah," Sheik continued with an ashamed grin, "turns out they had been playing a few drinking games the night before. We were in and out before he woke up. Peter is Uzuki's boyfriend."

"Oh. Well, they seem to make a good team . . . if only I knew what they were making."

Saria and Malon tilted their heads with Mido, staring at the tall clump of snow that Peter and Uzuki were packing along. Sheik couldn't give his first guess on what it was – it looked like they were making some sort of candy-cane, which would be appropriate considering it was the holidays.

But still, it was Uzuki, and he doubted she would be making candy-cane snow-sculptures for a competition.

"Beats me," Malon finally laughed. Then she pointed at Link's twin brother. "Look at Shade though – he's doing a pretty good job."

Sheik followed Malon's gaze towards Shade, who had built up a massive structure that almost looked like a coliseum. There were snow-spikes lining the walls, and he was starting to dig up a mote around the structure.

"Deadly," Sheik snickered as he watched Shade quickly and efficiently dig through the snow with the shovel the judges had provided him. Once the mote was deep enough and travelled all around the fortress, Shade moved on to making smaller details.

The competition went on for a while – Sheik went back to get more hot chocolate twice for both him and Malon – and eventually, the judges called for the even to end. Sheik still had his eyes set on Shade's battle fortress, which now had a detailed bridge that went across the mote, lines carved in to represent iron lines, and defensive spikes. It was like something you'd see out of a video game.

"Wow, they're pretty efficient," Sheik said in amazement. "Shade built up a pretty good battle fort." He peered in closer to see something else within the fortress. "He even made little soldiers and cannons."

The soldiers were actually pretty small compared to the rest of it, but it still made sense considering the battle fort was pretty big. Shade's fort was definitely Sheik's favorite.

"That girl over there made a very neat magazine kiosk," Malon said, pointing to the stand that had snow-sculpted magazines stacked up on the counter of the kiosk and scattered all around. "I think I see Opera magazine in there . . ."

"What did Uzuki and Peter make?" Saria asked them.

Mido stepped forward a bleacher to get a closer look at it. "It looks like a . . . guy in a suit. Hmm. What's that coming out of his back?"

Sheik stared closer as well, but the entire thing was pretty abstract, and didn't make much sense to him. "I can't tell from here," Sheik muttered. Then he shuddered when a slight chill of fear went down his spine. "That's weird how they got the snow to curve like that." He was staring specifically at the tentacles that were coming out of the suited man's back.

"It's . . . kinda scary," Malon whispered, and huddled in closer to Sheik. He found it hard to believe she was getting scared by a snow sculpture, but he didn't blame her – he definitely didn't want to run into someone like that in an alleyway at night.

Sheik, Malon, Saria, and Mido eagerly awaited the judges response. After a few minutes of waiting, the leading judge stepped forward with a small microphone in hand, and began to speak to the contestants and the crowd.

"Well, we have a lot of interesting sculptures this year," he spoke. "And as always, we had to think over it a lot on who won. We shall begin by naming off the third and second place winner."

After adjusting his little glasses, he began to read the names out on the sheet.

"In third place is . . ." He cleared his throat. "Uzuki Kasahara and Peter Larken, with their sculpture, 'The Tall Man'."

After the crowd was finished cheering, he continued on.

"In second place is Shade Kokiri, with his sculpture, 'Very Cool Battle Fort'." The man chuckled slightly at the name.

"And finally, in first place . . . Ana Ferra's life-size replica of Spongebob Squarepant's pineapple house, hollowed out from the inside and completely furnished!"

Sheik smiled. "Yeah, I figured she'd win."

Mido was wide-eyed. "Completely furnished too? That's why she was in there for so long . . . she's pretty fast to be able to do that in two hours."

"Two hours well spent," Malon said. She stared at the pineapple home and smiled. "I wonder if that girl will let us walk inside of the house . . ."

"It's pretty creative, that's for sure," Mido said. "I wonder if Shade hollowed out his battle fort."

Saria let out a shudder. "I'm still creeped out by Uzuki and Peter's sculpture. I hope that thing doesn't exist . . . it's scary."

"Don't worry about it," Mido assured her with a laugh. "It's probably just some silly Internet fad."

Sheik had a wide smile as he watched Uzuki squash all of the snow soldiers with her feet within Shade's battle fort, with Shade watching with a similar smile on his own face.

Sheik brought his wrist up to check the time on his watch. "Well, they're opening up a pie-eating contest in about twenty minutes." He turned to the group. "Wanna go watch it?"

Malon sneered at him. "Ugh, a bunch of gross guys stuffing their faces with pie? Sounds disgusting, but sure, why not? I've got nothing to lose."

* * *

"You don't have to do this for me, you know. It's pretty disgusting."

Sheik grabbed another handful of paper towel and began to clean the vomit off the toes of Malon's shoes, which he had held just by the bathroom sink.

"It's fine," Sheik said. "Honestly, I feel like I owe you for what happened – I was the one that suggested it, after all."

"No, it's my fault," Malon said, looping her arm underneath Sheik's. "I was just standing in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Sheik rinsed off the toes of Malon's winter boots in the sink, and wiped away the rest of the mess of puke from them. He had to admit, she had the worst of luck – she _had_ been standing at the wrong place at the wrong time, so badly that she ended up getting puked on by one of the contestants. Of course, the staff had offered to help them, but Sheik told them it was fine and they should tend to the man who was throwing up all colors of the rainbow from all the pies he ate.

When they were finished, Sheik escorted Malon out of the bathroom and back to where Mido and Saria were waiting, sipping down cups of hot chocolate.

"Wow, I can't believe he threw up all over your shoes," Saria sighed.

"So much for having nothing to lose," Mido snickered in agreement.

Malon turned a bright red, and glared at Mido. "Shut up, guys! It's not funny!"

Sheik defensively took Malon's hand and squeezed it. "It's alright, Malon. Is there anything I can do to make you feel any better?"

Malon shook her head at his offer. "Just don't take me to any more food-eating contests!"

Stifling a laugh, Sheik smiled, and replied, "That's totally fine."

Mido checked his wristwatch. "It's nearly eight now, guys."

Sheik thought for a moment of what they could do next until the main New Year's Eve celebration and fireworks display.

"They're starting to play some music and stuff over in the main area," Sheik told them. He pointed to the stage where people were setting up their instruments. "They also have a video game station – they're having all kinds of tournaments over there."

"The video game station sounds like it would be fun," Mido agreed.

Sheik turned to the girls. "Do you two want to check it out?"

"Sure, why not?" Malon said with a smile. Most of it was because she knew she wouldn't get puked on at the video game station.

"It may not be so bad," Saria agreed. "I'm not good at video games, but it may be fun to watch."

The group made their way to the video game station, a small building that was perched not far from where they were playing music on the stage. They weaved their way through the crowds until they made it to the front door. Inside, television screens were set up everywhere, all plugged into different extension cords and wall sockets. There were other stations set up as well for handheld game systems.

"Whoa, they really went all out with this," Sheik gasped as he looked around the room. There were all kinds of games set up – Mario Kart, Call of Duty, Team Fortress 2, Portal . . . pretty much all the games that Sheik was used to playing. After looking around for a few minutes, he saw that Uzuki was in the room too.

"Hey, looks like Uzuki's here, too," Sheik said, pointing to the spot where Uzuki was playing a game on the Nintendo 64. Sheik was surprised they had that system set up – it was more than ten years old and impossible to find these days.

Sheik approached Uzuki and tapped her shoulder.

"Can't look right now!" Uzuki snapped, keeping her eyes locked on the screen. "Trying to concentrate!"

When Sheik looked at the screen, he saw that she was playing some game with colored blocks you had to move. As he watched her, he saw her match the colors up, one after another. From what he could see from the other players, she was the fastest one there by a longshot.

"She's pretty quick at that," Malon finally noticed. "Look at everyone else."

Sheik nodded in agreement when he saw the other players, most of them moving not even half the speed at which Uzuki was. She had to have been playing the game for years to get at a skill level like that.

It only took forty seconds for Uzuki to completely destroy her opponent. When the round was over, she finally turned to face Sheik.

"Oh, hi there," she greeted him. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh . . . have we met before?"

Before Sheik could answer, her boyfriend, Peter, turned around to face Sheik as well.

"Oh, it's you," he muttered. He put a hand on Uzuki's shoulder. "Uzuki, this is Sheik – he's one of Link's friends. He helped me and Link find you that night after the winter dance."

"Ah, right," Uzuki said. "You were in that TF2 game with us the other night. You make a pretty bitching soldier, you know that/"

"Well, I had no choice," Sheik grumbled. "_Somebody _ran in without us."

"Hey, I was warming up some chicken!" Uzuki shouted. "Excuse me for being hungry!"

Sheik laughed. "You know, you're pretty quick at that game."

"What, Pokemon Puzzle League?" Uzuki asked, looking back towards the game – being done for that round, another kid took her place. "Yeah, it's pretty fun. I've been playing it since I was three."

"That explains how you're so quick at it."

"Well, the whole point is to match up colors," Uzuki began to explain. "If you can match up three, then you get a match. If you match up more than three – say, four – then you'll make a combo. And if you can keep the blocks matching up when they fall, then you get a chain. I'm an expert at chains."

"Clearly," Sheik laughed. "Those kids didn't know what hit them."

"Half of them haven't even played the game before," Uzuki sighed. "After all, most of them weren't even born yet when the game came out. I've got this tournament in the bag."

Peter gave Uzuki a teasing look and put his arm around her waist, pulling her in close. "I wouldn't say that just yet, sweetie. Someone could come in and catch you off guard."

Uzuki reached her hand up and pinched her boyfriend's cheek. "Well, then, maybe I'll finally get a challenge!"

Peter swatted her hand away. "Mmhmm, sure. I still say that Gyromancer is better."

"Gyromancer is a piece of shit!" Uzuki yelled out. "It's not worth any of the cash in your duct tape wallet!"

"Uzuki, it's not _that_ bad," Peter laughed. "Besides, you just don't like it because you're not _good_ at it."

"Nooooo," Uzuki growled. "I don't like it because it's confusing as hell. I mean, you can't just switch the blocks left-to-right like in Bejeweled – which is also a shitty game – and Pokemon Puzzle League; they gotta be all confusing about it by making you switch all four blocks at once in a clockwise motion. Whoever came up with that idea deserves a kick in the nutsack."

Sheik briefly turned to see that Malon, Saria, and Mido had gone to another table, where they were cheering on a guy who was in the lead in Mario Kart.

"Pokemon Puzzle League is the silly game," Peter argued back.

"Nope. You don't like it because I always beat you at it."

"Well, excuse me for playing against someone who's been playing the game for over ten years!"

Sheik stepped in between the both of them.

"Come on, you two, can't we just say that both games are good and move on?"

"No!" Uzuki shouted, pushing past Sheik to glare into Peter's eyes. "If you really knew me, you'd know that I don't give up an argument, _especially _when I'm right!"

"Guys-"

"Pokemon Puzzle League. Sucks. Balls," Peter replied.

"Shut up!"

"And you call yourself a real video gamer. Meh."

Uzuki suddenly brought her hand up and slapped Peter across the face. "I'm a better gamer than you'll ever be! What kind of gamer plays Gyromancer and thinks it's good?!"

Sheik could honestly say that there was no way for him to stop this argument now. But it made him wonder how often Uzuki and Peter had arguments like these. If they did, he knew they would have to have some special way to make up for all the arguments they had – otherwise they would of broken up a long time ago.

But he didn't really want to think about that.

"Guys, please, stop arguing," Sheik finally stepped in. "Seriously. I haven't played either one of those games, but I doubt the creators even give a shit on your opinions – Pokemon Puzzle League is definitely over ten years old and I think Peter is the only one in all of Hyrule Castle Town who plays Gyromancer, so it really shouldn't make a difference."

Uzuki and Peter stared at him.

"Whatever," Uzuki hissed. Suddenly, her body almost convulsed – it looked like she just got a massive chill.

"Oh god, not here . . ." she whispered, and began to look around the building. "Peter, I'm leaving. He's here again."

Peter stared wide-eyed at her. "But wait, what about the tournament?"

Uzuki sighed. "I know, I know . . . but it's not like there was much of a reward. Besides, I'm sick of making these kids cry. I've got to get the hell out of here."

Sheik was confused. "Huh? What's the big rush all of a sudden?"

Peter took Uzuki's hand and looked at Sheik. "It's nothing. It's just . . . no, it's fine. We're just late for something. We have to go."

"Uh, okay . . ."

Uzuki pulled Peter forward and the two rushed out of the building, almost taking a longer path out by going all around the building and leaving through the back door.

_What are they trying to avoid?_

Sheik looked around, but he saw nothing suspicious. Just people.

* * *

Sheik and Malon sat together on a bench, staring up at the stars and the moon in the sky. It had actually gotten colder out, so the two were bundled up snugly in their jackets, scarves, and mittens. Malon snuggled in close to Sheik – she found it much warmer whenever she did it.

"So, uh . . . did you enjoy today?" Sheik asked her.

"Yes, I did," Malon said quietly as she snuggled deeper into him. "It was lots of fun. I really like getting to spend this time with you. Truth be told I was . . . actually kind of nervous."

Sheik looked down at her. "Why?"

"Well, I . . . I don't know. I'm not really the coolest or the cutest girl that a guy could go out with. I mean, I'm clumsy, and I don't get the best grades, not to mention I'm not very feminine . . ."

Sheik squeezed Malon's hand. "Hey, do you think that's what I care about? You're the coolest girl I know. And who cares if you're a little clumsy? What's important is that you can laugh at your mistakes when something like that happens. I don't care about your grades either – I'm not the sharpest tool in the tool shed myself."

Sheik brought Malon's chin up to look at him. "And don't you dare say _anything _about not being feminine. You're beautiful."

Malon's face turned red. She turned her face away in embarrassment. "You're just saying that . . ." she giggled.

Sheik leaned in close and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Trust me, I'm not."

* * *

**A/N: I've actually heard from the real Uzuki Cheverie on numerous occasions that she's quite good at Pokemon Puzzle League, and she actually HAS played it for over 10 years. All I can say is, it would be a unique experience to see just how quick she is at it in person ;) (it's times like these that I wish Pokemon Puzzle League was available online as a multiplayer game so we could challenge each other that way instead of having to be right next to each other on an N64 :()**


	38. Kafei and Alexis

**Hey everyone,**

**Well, it took a bit longer than I thought it would, but here's Chapter 38 of OCL, with Kafei and Alexis as the target P.O.V. **

**Also, for any of you that are interested, I put up an update on my profile page for people who might be interested in doing a Google Docs/Drive writing collaboration. It doesn't have to be serious, it can just be for fun and to share creative ideas :) If you're interested, PM me or add it as a little side note if you review. **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 38: The Boys' Day Out – Kafei and Alexis**

Kafei was bored.

He stared motionless at the blank screen in front of him, waiting for the video page to load. He really had nothing at all to do, and was just killing time by watching videos on Youtube. Of course, he didn't know what he was going to do when he ran out of videos to watch.

"Ughhhh . . ." Kafei groaned, letting his head fall onto the desk, hitting the keyboard hard. He had already tried to call Link, but there was no answer. Both Mikau and Sheik were busy, and Mido's phone only rang twice before going to the answering machine – it must have been shut off.

Kafei signed into his email account and brought up the chat page. The only one who was online was Alexis. He had completely forgotten that he had added her to his contact list a week earlier.

He hesitated for a moment, but then began to type in a greeting to her.

_Hey, Alexis. It's me, Kafei. How are you?_

A few moments passed before she put in a reply.

_Oh, hey, Kafei. I thought you would be out having fun at the New Year's Eve celebration. _

Kafei began to type a reply.

_Nah, I'm not much for gatherings like those. I'm more of an inside person. _

_Heh, you and me both. I really had no reason to go, so I stayed home. But the rest of the family is gone now so I'm bored as hell ._._

_Same here, I've got nothing to do . . ._

Kafei stopped for a moment and thought. He had nothing to do, and it was clear Alexis had nothing to do either. Would she want to go to the New Year's Eve celebration with him? They were both indoor people, but surely it would be more fun together – at least, that's how he hoped it would work out.

Kafei was about to type in the request, but then he stopped again.

_Really, you're going to ask her out? _he thought to himself. _What if she says no? Why would she want to go out with you? There's no way she'll say yes._

But he didn't need the hesitation. He shook the nagging self-consciousness out of his head, and started to type.

Before he could stop himself, he hit ENTER.

_Hey, Alexis, would you like to go to the New Year's Eve festival with me?_

A few moments passed with no response.

_Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit , _Kafei thought worriedly. _She's going to say no. I don't know why I got the guts to ask her out. I don't know why I - _

His thoughts were interrupted when a response pinged from Alexis. Kafei locked his eyes immediately onto the words she had typed.

_I'd love to! Do you want to meet somewhere?_

Kafei felt a huge weight come off his chest, and it was being replaced with nervous butterflies. A giddy smile grew on his face as he began typing in his reply.

_Sure! We can meet at that coffee shop near the south entrance. _

_That sounds good to me! _Alexis replied. Kafei was ecstatic and terrified. _Let's meet in an hour. _

_Okay. See you then. _

Kafei signed off his email and turned off his computer. Then a wide smile started to creep on his face, slow at first, and then all at once as the widest grin he'd had in a long time. Alexis wanted to go out with him. A _date_.

Before he knew it, Kafei found himself flopped down on his back, staring at his ceiling with a big goofy grin on his face.

* * *

When Kafei showed up at the coffee shop, he only had to wait a couple of minutes before Alexis showed up, wearing a parka with skinny jeans and winter boots that went up to her knees. She was wearing small silver earrings that sparkled with the snow around her, bright in the sunshine. Her hair was tied up into a high ponytail, but her hair spiked out at the back instead of just hanging down like a regular pony-tail. It looked good on her.

"Hey, sorry if I made you wait," Alexis said when she met him.

"It's no problem, I just got here," Kafei replied. "How are you today?"

"Better now."

It took Kafei a minute to realize that she was hinting towards the fact that she was _happy_ to be here with him. When he did figure it out, he turned red.

"W-Well, what do you want to do first?" Kafei asked nervously, his pulse rising as he scratched his head.

"Hmm," Alexis thought. "How about we go get a bite to eat?"

"That would be great. Any place in mind?"

Alexis nodded. "There's a really neat crepe shop down the street from here. They're delicious! Come on-" She grabbed Kafei's hand, causing his heart to skip a beat. "-let's go check it out!"

Kafei ran along with her, a smile on his face the entire way, until they made it to the small shop where people were sitting outside with cups of hot chocolate and crepes stuffed with whipped cream and strawberries and other delicious-looking treats.

Kafei and Alexis entered the shop, the bell ringing when the door opened to signal their entry to the staff. The shop was all kinds of colors on the inside – pinks, blues, whites, reds, and light greens came off the cakes and treats that were on display scattered around the shop's main room.

"Wow, the stuff in here looks delicious!" Kafei gasped as he looked at the decorative cakes and sweets they had on display.

"Yeah, the people who run this shop are like cake "masters" or something," Alexis laughed. "Either way, their stuff is pretty good."

While the two teenagers waited in line, they looked at the treats in the glass cabinets and tried to decide what to buy. The store honestly had everything – cupcakes, birthday cakes, wedding cakes, casual cakes, crepes . . . it could hardly be called a crepe shop when they had every treat on the planet stuffed into one little building.

By the time they made it to the counter, Kafei had settled on buying a dessert crepe with whipped creme, chocolate, and slices of strawberry. Alexis had bought three slices of cheese cake and had them stored away in a styrofoam dish with a cover.

"This tastes amazing," Kafei said as he ate into the crepe. "I have no clue why I haven't gone there before."

"I'm kinda surprised you hadn't heard of it either," Alexis giggled. "It's always got a ton of business."

"Eh, I don't get out much," Kafei said shyly. "But I'm definitely going back in there again. Their food is delicious."

Kafei stared at the container in her hands that she hadn't touched since leaving the shop. He had noticed her buying quite a few pieces of cheesecake, more than what a person would usually buy, and she didn't even look like she was planning on _eating _it.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Kafei asked.

"I will later," Alexis said quietly, her expression suddenly turning bleak. "I'm saving some for a friend."

"Oh," was all Kafei could say.

Kafei ate his crepe silently while watching the people in the crowds walk by them.

"You know, I'm really glad you asked me to come out today," Alexis said. "I was bored out of my mind before you offered to take me."

"Oh, well . . ." Kafei swallowed a bite of his crepe before continuing, "I was kinda bored too and you were the first one that came to mind when I thought of something to do at the festival, so . . . heh, yeah."

_Smooth, real smooth_, Kafei thought angrily to himself.

"Well, thank you," Alexis giggled. "So, what do you want to do now? They've got all kinds of activities set up around here."

Kafei shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't matter to me, as long as I'm with you."

Alexis turned a little red in the face, but then giggled and shook it off. "I'm enjoying this time with you. You're quiet a lot, but you really are fun to hang out with."

"Well, I'm glad someone agrees," Kafei sighed.

"Oh? Link and the others seem to enjoy your company."

"Yeah, I know . . . but I'm not really one to stick out from the group," Kafei said. "If someone were to talk about our group, they'd always know Link or Sheik or even Mikau or Mido . . . but I'm kinda the one that hides in the background. Even when we're hanging out I don't speak much."

"Well, you really are a good person, once someone gets to know you," Alexis replied. "I know I didn't know what to think of you when I met your group, but you're a pretty cool guy. You're cute too."

It was Kafei's turn to blush. No one had ever told him he was _cute _before. He almost didn't know how to react.

Alexis took his hand, and started to walk him down the path through town.

"I want to show you something," she told him.

Kafei didn't know what she wanted to show him, but he saw no need to object, so he went with her. As they went through the downtown area of Hyrule Castle Town, they soon made it to an area of Hyrule that wasn't visited often – Kafei knew this place was home to the poorer community of Hyrule who couldn't afford to live in the city area. They passed a few homes until Alexis finally stopped them in front of a small house that, like the rest of the houses in this area, wasn't in the best condition. The windows were dirty, the door looked like it was about to fall off the hinges, and the house was made out of wood that looked to be old and worn out, splintering in a lot of spots and falling apart completely in others.

". . . Why are we here?" Kafei asked. He felt a little nervous – he had never been in this area of Hyrule Castle Town before, but he had heard the stories. Lots of gangs could be found here, and it was one of the areas where most of the crimes happened.

"There are plenty of reasons why I'm never free after school . . . why I don't really eat the lunches I bring . . . why I spend so much money on food," Alexis began as she put her hand on the door knob of the house. Before Kafei could say anything, Alexis opened the door and stepped inside without even knocking. Kafei followed her.

The room inside was musty and dark. There was only a single window next to the makeshift table, and a wood stove was siting in the corner.

Alexis walked quietly, her feet barely creaking against the wood floor.  
They heard a shuffling from the other room. Alexis sighed.

"It's okay," Alexis said out to the empty room. "Come on out. It's just me – it's Alexis. I've brought something for you."

Out from the second room came a small girl who had small white eyes and was wearing loose pants, broken sandals, and a tank top that was three times her size. Her dark brown hair was cut short and stuck out in all directions – it looked like it hadn't been properly taken care of in weeks.

"Hey," Alexis greeted the girl in a gentle whisper. "I brought you something that I think you might like. Come here to the table."

The girl very slowly made her way to the table, and then felt around for the chair. While the girl was sitting down, Alexis found a napkin laying on the table and put one of the cheesecake pieces onto the napkin and sat it in the palms of her own hands.

"Okay, now put your hands forward. Lay them out flat," Alexis told the young girl. When she did, Alexis passed the napkin onto the girl.

". . . What is this?" the girl finally spoke. Her voice was very frail and quiet.

"Cheesecake," Alexis said. "I bought it at a crepe shop. Here." Alexis passed the girl a fork and positioned it in her hand properly. "Dig in."

As Kafei stared at this young girl, he suddenly realized what was wrong.

She was blind.

Alexis turned to face Kafei as the girl blindly ate at her cheesecake.

"Her name is Nyla. I met her when I found her digging through our trashcans about a year ago. Since then, I've been helping her family get along better by by giving them any money I have that I don't need and bringing them food. She lives here with her mother and her baby sister, Mina."

Kafei didn't know what to say. This entire time, since he met her, Alexis had been helping a poor family get by and live their lives a little bit better.

"Nyla," Alexis said to the girl. Nyla lifted her head towards the sound of Alexis' voice.

"Yes . . . ?" Nyla asked.

"I have a friend here. His name is Kafei."

Nyla nodded. "I thought I heard two sets of footsteps. Hello, Kafei. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kafei tried to get rid of the dryness that had suddenly formed in his throat. "Uh, hi. It's nice to meet you too. I'm Kafei."

"Nyla," Alexis said again to get her attention towards her again. "I brought three pieces of cheesecake. Your mother can have one and you can feed a bit to Mina as well. The cake won't last long in warm temperatures though, so you'll have to eat it soon. It's soft, so Mina should be able to get along fine with it."

"Okay," Nyla said. "Thank you so much, Alexis. It's really too much."

"It's fine," Alexis said. "Really. I've got enough food at home, and more than enough money."

Alexis reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

"Here, hold out your hand again," Alexis said. Nyla set her cake down onto the table and held her hands out again. Alexis set the twenty dollar bill into the girl's hands.

"You give that to your mother, you hear? Come up with some kind of grocery list or something for this week. The money should last you long enough, but remember to conserve your food – don't eat it all at once, otherwise you'll run out and you won't have any more money until I can get you some."

"Yes," Nyla said, closing her hand around the bill.

Alexis sighed with relief, and rubbed Nyla's matted hair.

"I'll stop by again sometime, okay?" Alexis said. "Until then, tell your mother I stopped in and take good care of Mina – make sure you get some food that she can eat too. She's a growing girl, she needs all the nourishment she can get."

"Yes," Nyla repeated.

"Okay," Alexis said. "I'll visit again in a few days to check up on you, and I'll probably have a bit more money for you next week. There are going to be some fireworks tonight. You go up onto your roof and watch them, okay? You'll love them."

Nyla smiled and nodded. "Will you watch them too?"

"Of course. I'm leaving now. Stay safe."

"I will," Nyla said with a slight smile. Then she stood up and gave Alexis a hug. "You stay safe too."

Alexis giggled. "I will."

* * *

"So why her family?"

Alexis shrugged her shoulders as they walked down the street back towards where the festivities were set up for the New Year's Eve celebration.

"Because they're humble. Because I know they're not going to waste the things I give them on silly things like alcohol and drugs, like the rest of those bums in there," Alexis explained. "There are people like her in there, but then there are the people that are in there because they deal drugs to gangs and spend all their cash on even more drugs. I know her family puts the money to good use."

"I never knew you were doing something like that," Kafei sighed. "It's . . . amazing, really. I really admire that. I wish I could have the strength to do that."

"It doesn't really take any strength, in my opinion," Alexis stated. "You just have to be willing to lend a helping hand."

Kafei nodded. "Yeah . . . yeah, you're right."

Alexis pulled out her phone to check the time. It was nearly six.

"She's eight years old," Alexis sighed. "She's the strong person in all of this. Her mother is often sick in bed, and her youngest sibling, Mina, isn't even a year old yet, but . . . she still manages to take care of both of them, along with herself, even when she's blind. It's amazing how she can do it all without becoming discouraged."

"Well, she has a great friend she knows she can rely on if she needs help," Kafei pointed out. "You took notice to the state her family was in and you decided to actually do something about it – anyone else around here would just treat them like wild animals and not bat an eye at them if they were asking for help."

Alexis smiled at him. "You're a great friend too, Kafei. I'm glad I can rely on you. You're great at making me feel better when I'm feeling down."

Kafei smiled back at her and took her hand, clenching it tightly in his.

"If you don't mind . . . I think I'd like to help you help Nyla's family. I feel like I could help make a difference for her."

Alexis beamed, and pulled Kafei into a tight hug.

"I'd love that, Kafei. Thank you so much . . . !" she cried into his shirt.

Kafei placed a gentle hand on her head and smiled warmly, to her and to himself.

"You don't have to thank me. You can always rely on me."


	39. Mikau and Ruto

**Hey,**

**So this chapter ended up being longer than I thought it would, but I guess it's alright considering we really haven't seen much of the MikauxRuto pairing 3 The next one will probably be better because they will be characters I will actually ENJOY writing about (honestly, I've never ever liked Ruto XD). Hope you guys [decently] enjoy this chapter, please R&R!**

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

"_You want to know the lyrics to DUBSTEP music?_

_Uh . . . okay . . ._

_WUB WUB DUB BOOM SKREE DROP DA BASS."_

_- Uzuki Cheverie_

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 39: The Boys' Day Out – Mikau and Ruto**

Mikau checked his watch for the fiftieth time that day. It was four o'clock.

She was an hour and a half late.

Mikau had made this date with Ruto three days ago. She knew they were going to be meeting at two-thirty to hang out at the New Year's festival – not to mention, it would be their first real date since they started dating. And he had been sitting there at the bakery where they were supposed to meet for an _hour and a half_.

He really didn't know what was keeping her. Did she not know where the bakery was? He was pretty sure he had given her directions, and even then she seemed to know what bakery he was talking about when he asked her to the festival over the phone three days ago. Maybe she was just taking a long time to get ready; most girls he knew would spend hours in the bathroom putting on makeup and choosing their outfits for hours just to find an outfit that they would say looks "decent". He didn't really know if Ruto was that kind of girl though – but then again, her sometimes "obsessive" personality could prove otherwise. Especially if she was dressing up for Link.

Although Ruto wasn't the first girl that came to his mind when he wanted to ask someone out, he still figured that things could go along well if they had lots in common and enjoyed their time together at the festival. Most of all, though, he was hoping spending time together would help Ruto take her mind off Link, even just a little bit. Her obsessing over Link was starting to get sad, even for Mikau, and he wanted to help her move on to another person; even if the person wasn't him, he didn't care, he just wanted to help her move on with her life. He could at least do that.

Another half hour passed, and still no Ruto. Mikau pulled out his phone and went through his contact list until he found Navi's name. Navi was a good friend to have when you needed to find stuff out. He had her in his contact list for both publicity in the Hyrule Academy magazine for the guitar club, as well as a source of information when he really needed it. He remembered one time when he had to find out what the Math homework was for a day that he missed – he called Navi, who wasn't even in Math that semester, and she was _still_ able to tell him what the homework was. It was like she kept every bit of information that she could possibly have her hands on stored into her brain . . . either that, or a giant filing cabinet stored somewhere secret in her room. It had to be one or the other.

Mikau selected Navi's name and hit the [CALL] button. It rang four times before Navi picked up.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hey, Navi," Mikau greeted her. "It's Mikau."

"Oh, hey there. What's up?"

"Nothing much. I'm down here at the festival."

"Oh, you are? I'm down here with Ezlo," Navi replied. Ezlo had been Navi's boyfriend for the past year. They really were a good couple. When you met them together though, they could never seem to shut up. At least they enjoyed having conversations.

"Say hi to him for me," Mikau muttered. "Listen, Navi, I-"

"Ezlo!" Navi suddenly yelled off of the phone, although it was still pretty loud to Mikau. "Mikau says hi!" She brought the mouthpiece back to herself. "Ezlo says hi. You know, you two should hang out sometime-"

"Navi, I'd love to talk, but I called so that I could ask you something," Mikau said quickly before she could interrupt him again.

"Oh? Well, shoot," Navi giggled.

"Have you seen Ruto anywhere?" he asked. He was hoping that maybe she was just hanging around somewhere else – at least then Navi would probably know and he could head over and stop sitting around in the cold for hours.

"At the festival? No, I haven't seen her." She stopped for a moment, probably thinking. "Wait a minute . . . were you going to meet up with her at the festival?"

"Yeah," Mikau muttered.

"Well, she probably forgot."

"What?!" Mikau snapped.

"Yeah, she has a tendency to forget when she's supposed to hang out with people that she's not very much acquainted with. I remember the first time we met, she forgot we were going to go out for coffee and talk over the exam times. We got along pretty well after that, and-"

Mikau cut in before she could continue. "Thanks, Navi. You're a big help. I owe you one big time."

"You can buy me a coffee sometime," Navi giggled. "I might see you at the festival too. See ya around!"

Mikau hit the [END] button on his phone and then put it back into his pocket.

According to Navi what was keeping her so long was the fact that she forgot; he didn't want to believe it. But he knew it would be better safe than sorry to call her and see what was going on.

Mikau hadn't added Ruto to his contact list yet, but thankfully he could still remember her number from when he called her three days ago. He punched the numbers into the phone and then waited for Ruto to answer as it rang.

He only had to wait three rings before someone picked up the phone. It wasn't Ruto.

"Hello?" the voice said. It was a boy, but he sounded younger.

"Hi. Is Ruto there?" Mikau asked.

"Oh, yeah, just a second." The boy turned his voice from the phone before yelling, "RUTO! GET THE PHONE!"

There was a bit of shuffling around and yelling back and forth before Ruto picked up.

"Hello?" Ruto said. "Who's this?"

"It's Mikau," Mikau said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"Oh, Mikau! What's up?"

_Is she serious?_ Mikau thought.

"Um, we were meeting up today? Two-thirty? At the bakery? The _festival_?"

It was silent for a brief moment before Ruto replied.

"Oh yeah! I forgot we were meeting up today! I'm sorry, Mikau!"

_She's serious. She actually forgot about our date._

Ruto laughed it off casually. "Well, thankfully I haven't made any other plans for today, so I'll still be able to meet with you. I can be ready in ten minutes and meet you there."

"Yeah, okay," Mikau muttered; he was finding it hard to not sound as annoyed as he was.

"Bye."  
Mikau hit the [END] button on his phone to end the call.

_I can't believe she forgot. Does she actually even WANT to hang out? _

Mikau kept these thoughts to himself as he sat at one of the tables outside the bakery and waited for Ruto to show up.

Thankfully, just as she had said, ten minutes later she showed up, wearing a deep blue sweater and black yoga pants with knee-high winter boots. She had a jacket on over the sweater, unzipped.

"I'm so sorry about that," Ruto apologized the moment she arrived.

_Well . . . at least she's apologizing_, Mikau thought.

"So, what are the plans for today?" Ruto asked cheerfully. "There's honestly no room here to get bored; let's go find something fun to do!"

Mikau couldn't object to that. "Let's just walk around and see if there's anything that catches our eye."

Ruto nodded in agreement, and then the two of them began to head through the festival grounds. Mikau had already checked out a few while he was waiting, but it was all new to Ruto. She couldn't believe how many booths had been set up, all with different things to do. There were food booths with all kinds of tasty treats you could buy; there were game booths with activities for the younger visitors; there were booths selling all kinds of items, some vintage and others collectible to certain people. She didn't think there was possibly enough time in the day to do them all.

The first booth that caught Ruto's attention was a big area set up with strange music blaring from stand-up speakers. She couldn't for the life of her understand what language it was in, but she was curious so she started to walk towards it, Mikau following her close behind.

The girl who seemed to be running the booth was wearing a strange outfit – black shorts, a white shirt that only went down to her belly button, a yellow bow-tie like tie fastened underneath the black collar of the shirt, and white boots that went up to her knees and had black cover-overs. She looked to be wearing some kind of yellow-haired wig, and she had big black-sleeves that began at her elbows and went down to her hands – they matched the cover-overs of her boots. To top it off, she was wearing big white headphones with a small microphone attacked, a white bow in her hair, and had the number two written in red on her left shoulder.

"How are you not freezing to death?!" Ruto gasped as she stared at the girl in this outfit.

"Eh, when you're as big a fan of Kagamine Rin as I am, you'll do anything to show off your dedication," the girl giggled.

Ruto suddenly remembered that Kagamine Rin must have been one of those Vocaloid characters that Zelda and Alexis were always going on about. Computer-synthesized singers? She wasn't really sure; she mostly tuned out the conversations about the Vocaloid characters because she never really cared.

Suddenly, a tan-skinned girl with light brown curly hair came pushing past Ruto, rushing right up to the woman in the Vocaloid costume.

"Nenderoid for Kagamine Rin and Len, new append, 3 inches tall with additional expressions and accessories! Pleeeasseee tell me you have one!" the woman gasped – she sounded like she had been running all around Castle Town.

"Hey, watch it!" Ruto snapped.

The woman glared back at Ruto. "I've got important business to attend to! Unless you're actually getting something here, _back off!_"

_Are all Vocaloid fans like this?_ Ruto thought to herself as she took a few safe steps back. There was a tall man with her who had a goatee and short black hair that was covered with some kind of golf-cap.

The woman at the booth smiled. "Sounds like you've been looking for that particular pair for a while." She bent over behind the counter and brought up a box with two little statuettes inside. One of the figurines looked a little like the way the woman was dressed.

"How much?!" the girl demanded.

"Five hundred rupees," the woman said.

The girl pulled out five hundred rupees from her wallet and passed it to the woman. "There! Not a bad price."

_Not a bad price?! _Ruto thought in shock. _Does she normally pay this much for two little dolls?!_

The girl took the box with the dolls inside and hugged them. "My collection is almost complete up to this point! I just need the dark append for Hatsune Miku and then I'll have everything until the new releases next year!"

"Hope you enjoy that," the cashier woman laughed. "We don't have the dark append here, but there's going to be an anime expo in Clock Town, Termina, in a few months, so if you could make it out there for it, I'm sure they'd have the dark append of Miku for you to buy. It might be a bit pricey though."

_A bit pricey . . . five hundred rupees isn't pricey for a doll? _Ruto thought in wonder.

The girl was about to leave, but Ruto caught her before she could.

"Um, I'm sorry, but, um . . ." Ruto let out a bit of a strained laugh. "Why exactly would you spend _five hundred rupees _for _that_?" She pointed at the box in the woman's hands.

"It's a Nenderoid. These things aren't exactly easy to manufacture," the woman stated. "And they're collectibles – these things will be worth a fortune a few decades down the road, if I'm even willing to part with them."

"Trust me, I ask her the same thing whenever she goes spending a fortune on them," the man next to her – Ruto assumed it was her boyfriend – said with an uneasy grin.

"Hey, I've got plenty of cash, and it's not like I have anything better to spend it on," the girl grumbled. She turned back to Ruto. "Either way, sorry for pushing you out of the way like that. But when it comes to getting one of these things, I'd kill a person if they were standing in my way. Nenderoids are amazing, and I can't call myself a fan of Vocaloid unless I collect every single damn one of them."

"I can't tell if that's a healthy thing or not," Ruto snickered.

"Meh. To each his own." The woman put the box underneath her arm and then gave a small wave goodbye. "Sorry again. Have a good day." Then she turned and left with the man by her side.

Ruto and Mikau continued to travel around and check out the different booths. For about an hour they went around to the game booths and tried to win the different prizes there, and then they started checking all the food booths to see what kind of unique dishes the hosts had prepared. Around dinner time, Mikau took Ruto to an oriental restaurant, where they ordered bowls of ramen soaked in chicken broth.

"I can never get the hang of these," Ruto grumbled as she tried to eat the noodles in the bowl with the pair of chopsticks in her hands. She tried again, but the noodles slipped out from between the chopsticks.

"Here, try this," Mikau cut in. He took Ruto's hand and helped position the chopsticks a little better in her hand. "There, now try it."

Ruto tried again, and this time she managed to keep her grip on the noodles and eat them.

"Ha, thanks!" Ruto giggled after she swallowed the chicken-flavored noodles.

Mikau sat there watching her slowly master the chopsticks as he ate his own bowl of ramen, but he couldn't help but let the fact that he and Ruto barely knew anything about each other bug him.

"So, uh, Ruto . . ." Mikau muttered. "Uh . . . do you have any hobbies?"

Ruto stared at him funny. "Hmm? Why are you so curious all of a sudden?"

Mikau shrugged his shoulders. He could feel the awkwardness growing. "Well, it's just . . . we've never really gotten a lot of time to get to know each other, so I figured we could take this opportunity to."

"Hmm," Ruto mumbled, sinking into the back of her chair and staring down at her near-empty bowl of ramen, a chopstick balanced between her lips. "Well . . . what do you want to know?"

Mikau shrugged his shoulders a second time. "I dunno . . . what do you like to do to pass the time?"

Ruto thought for a moment. "Well, I like listening to music."

"Oh? Any particular favorites?"

"I really like Lady Gaga and Anjulie," she replied.

_Oh god, _Mikau thought. _Okay, no similarities in musical tastes . . . although I kinda figured she wouldn't reply with ACDC or City in Colour. Oh well._

"What else do you like to do?"

Ruto thought some more. "Um . . . well . . . I kind of like doing hair."

"Doing hair?" Mikau raised an eyebrow.

"You know – cutting it, styling it. I'm kind of thinking of going into hairdressing when I graduate."

"Oh, hairdressing. That would be neat."

"Yeah, and I like experimenting with makeup designs too," Ruto said with a smile. "Whenever dances or special events come up, I'm usually doing the makeup for anyone going with me. I did Saria's makeup for the dance."

"That's pretty cool," Mikau muttered. He could admit, makeup and hairstyles were not his initial conversation starters, but he thought it was quite admirable that Ruto was already thinking of where she wanted to go after she graduated and that she was already making it a skill.

"Yeah, I really enjoy it," Ruto said. "I guess you just gotta find something you like and stick with it, you know? I mean, you're never truly happy if you're doing something you don't like. I've seen people work in a certain career their whole lives, but they never realized they weren't enjoying it until it was too late and they couldn't do anything else."

"I don't think it's ever too late to change your mind," Mikau replied. "I mean, even after you're retired, you can still do the things you want to – you don't really have to stay retired if you're still in condition to work and have the right mindset towards it."

Ruto smiled. "Yeah, I guess you've got a point there." She stopped, and then ate another mouthful of ramen before continuing, "So, do you know what you're going to do after you graduate?"

"I've never really thought about it," Mikau replied with a sigh. "I mean, I know they tell me I have lots of time to make up my mind – 'they' being my parents and the school – but I know that once next year rolls around I'm going to be a little pressed for time."

"Well, why not take a year off from school so you can make up your mind better without having schoolwork to worry about?" Ruto suggested. "Or maybe try out something you think will be good for you and then going from there to see if it's a choice – after all, if you sign up for a college, you're not obligated to stay there, so if you don't like it, you can just leave the course and try something else until you find something you like."

Mikau nodded. "I guess, yeah. I guess I'll just finish up this year and think about it over the summer."

"That's the spirit," Ruto said with a smile. "And remember, nobody's pressuring you to take a certain career – you're not expected to 'follow in your parent's footsteps' or do what the administration thinks is 'best for you'."

Mikau could admit he was getting really into this conversation.

"Those are pretty good words of wisdom," Mikau laughed.

"Eh, not mine," Ruto mumbled. "I just overheard some chick ranting to Zelda one day. Of course, her interpretation was a lot more foul-mouthed." When Ruto thought about it, she hadn't seen the girl's face, but her voice had sounded an awful lot like the girl they had run into at the Vocaloid stand.

"Oh," Mikau muttered. He was starting to believe that Ruto could actually be 'inspirational' – instead, she just used other people's lines. Of course, he knew that way of thinking had to have been used by other people before them; Uzuki could have easily picked up that way of thinking from somebody else, either family or historical figures. When it all boiled down to it, it didn't really matter – it was still good advice no matter who's mouth it came from.

Ruto finished her ramen, and then wiped her mouth with her napkin. "That was delicious," she said. "Thank you."

"No problem," Mikau said with a smile.

The two left their table and then started to explore the other various booths again. They spent a few hours playing fun games and checking out shop booths that had all kinds of interesting items for sale. Soon after, they found not a booth, but a section cut off where a mat was placed down on the ground and people were doing dance routines to different songs.

"Oh, sweet!" Mikau exclaimed, and pulled Ruto over to watch the people dancing on the mat. "Dubstep dancing . . . that's deadmau5!"

Ruto stared at him funny. "I'm sorry?"

"You know – deadmau5? Dubstep artist? Does a lot of club music?"

Ruto shrugged her shoulders.

Mikau stared at her blankly. ". . . You're kidding."

"Afraid not," Ruto muttered.

Mikau grabbed Ruto's hand and pulled her closer to the crowd so she could hear the music and see the dancers better. Ruto didn't quite understand the music that had no lyrics and seemed to be playing all kinds of warped notes that couldn't possibly come from a normal instrument, but Mikau seemed really into it.

After the song was over, the dancers left the mat and a few others took their place to dance to the next song – including the girl they had run into at the Vocaloid booth.

"Look, it's that girl!" Ruto gasped.

"Oh yeah, you're right!" Mikau agreed. "And they're dancing to Skrillex – awesome!"

Ruto rolled her eyes. "I don't know this band either."

"No NO, they're not a band!" Mikau growled. "Skrillex is a _single artist _who does essentially the same thing as deadmau5, only he plays his own creative style. You'll see – it's 'First of the Year', so this dance is gonna be awesome."

"Okay . . ." Ruto mumbled, but she still wasn't so sure – this kind of music just didn't seem to appeal to her.

The first part of the song seemed kind of gentle, with a few unintelligible lyrics throughout and some piano – but then after about a minute the background bass got very heavy and the dancers really started to move.

"How are they able to dance to that?" Ruto sneered. "It's awful."

"Oh, come on, it's not _that_ bad," Mikau laughed. "I mean, it takes real skill to be able to come up with a dance like that for a song like this, especially when the dancers you're with haven't done the same choreography as you – it looks like Uzuki's taking most of the lead and already knows how to do most of it, and the other dancers are doing a great job of paying attention and following her. It's pretty impressive, if I do say so myself."

"So you like watching dance videos?" Ruto said with a sly grin.  
"Well . . . sometimes," Mikau grumbled. "Mostly to songs like this. The way the dancers can practically morph their bodies along with the song is pretty admirable. I can gladly say that I'm kind of jealous."

"Well, why don't you learn how to dance like that?" Ruto asked.

"Oh, I could never," Mikau snickered. "I'd never be able to move like that. Not to mention, I wouldn't have two clues on how to come up with choreography like that right on the spot." Mikau stopped when he saw that Ruto was still giving him funny looks. "B-Besides, it's not like there are any choreography clubs or classes around here. So even if I wanted to learn – which I _don't_ – it doesn't make any difference because I wouldn't have any way to learn it."

"Being self-taught never hurt anybody," Ruto growled under her breath.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Mikau growled back.

They continued to watch the dancers for a good while. There were a lot of dubstep songs, and a few modern, new generation songs, as well as some indie songs, and there were dancers with their own special, improvised routines for each one. Of course, Mikau seemed to be enjoying the dances more than Ruto, although there were a few songs that played that Ruto was familiar with.

After a short time of watching the dancers – a long time to Ruto – the two teenagers moved on to one of the open spaces they had prepared for people who wanted to watch the fireworks from a comfortable spot. Mikau hadn't even thought to bring blankets, so he took off his extra jacket and set it along the ground for both him and Ruto to sit on. Thankfully, the jacket was quite big, so there was plenty of room.

"You're not going to be cold?" Ruto asked.

"Nah, I'll be fine," Mikau replied. "Besides, I'm wearing like three sweaters here, and it's not as cold as it was before."

"Hmm, okay," Ruto sighed, and stared up at the darkening sky. After a few moments of silence, she sighed, and said, "I'm sorry again about forgetting our date today."

"Wha?" Mikau had completely forgotten about that. "Oh, no, it's fine, Ruto." Now that he was thinking about it, he was starting to become a little pissed off again, but he kept his irritation down. "We're here now, so don't worry about it."

Ruto sighed again. "I guess you're right . . ."

Then they stared up at the dark sky and waited for the fireworks to begin.


	40. Shade and Ren

**Hey everyone,**

**Been feeling a little out-of-whack with my writing lately, so if this chapter really sucks, that's probably why. Might go back and try to fix up some stuff later, but until then, just two of these things left, one of which I'm sure, if I can get out of this whack, you guys will really enjoy, because it covers a character pairing that we really don't see a lot of :) Anyway, until the next chapter comes out, I apologize for the out-of-whack state that I'm in, and hopefully the next two chapters in this little POV arc will be better (I already have the last one about halfway done anyway). So yeah, [try to] enjoy the chapter, and leave a review if you have the time.**

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 40: The Boys' Day Out – Shade and Ren**

Ren had just finished applying her make-up when she heard the sound of Shade's motorbike pull into her driveway. She looked out the small window in the bathroom to see him dismounting his vehicle and taking off his bike helmet. It was one of those racer bikes, nothing like the Harley Davidson's that were meant for the old geezers who liked to drive the streets and pretend they were thirty years younger – it was a motorbike similar to that of a dirtbike, often rode by people like Shade who actually knew how to handle one.

Ren quickly applied the rest of her black mascara and eyeshadow and then grabbed her winter jacket off the coat rack and headed for the door where Shade was already knocking.

She opened the door for Shade and greeted him with a smile. "Hey."

Shade smiled back and replied with the same greeting. "You look good today," he told her. "I like the eye make-up."

"Oh, thanks," Ren giggled. Ren always wore black eyeshadow with black mascara, as often as she possibly could. Sometimes she wore black lipstick to match, but she often found it a pain to get it to look right. The black mascara and eyeshadow, however, always looked well with her bright blond hair and the red streak that travelled through her single bang, pushed off to the side.

"So, you ready to go?" Shade asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Shade smirked and tossed her the second motorcycle helmet that was tucked underneath his arm. "Might want to put this on."

Ren smirked back and strapped it on as she walked down the driveway with him to his motorbike. There were only a couple other guys that Ren had gone out with that she had rode motorbikes with, and neither of them were very dangerous with it. Based on what she knew about Shade, she knew he was probably a decent driver too – after all, most guys treasured their bikes if they owned one, and wouldn't be dumb enough to try any stupid tricks due to the risk of ruining it.

Shade mounted the bike, and then Ren got on behind him, sitting up close to him and wrapping her arms around him to hold on. After turning the key in the ignition, the motorbike's engine roared to life.

Shade took off down the street, the sounds of the engine reverberating off the city buildings around them. They drove through Castle Town, making a few sharp turns, stopping at a few intersections, and passing a few other cars until finally, they made it to the area that was closed off from traffic for the New Year's Eve celebrations. There were booths of all kind scattered throughout the streets, and several other areas blocked off for competitions and shows.

Shade parked his bike by the other cars that couldn't enter the area and killed the engine. Ren got off from behind, and then Shade got off, both of them removing their bike helmets and hanging them off the handles of the bike. Shade stuffed the keys into his back pocket for safe keeping, and then he started to walk to one area of the festival that was blocked off with bleachers, forming a big circle.

"So, I didn't want to tell you this earlier," Shade began, a devious smile growing on his face as he spoke, "but I signed us up for that snow sculpture building contest."

"What?!" Ren exclaimed. "Geez! I don't know two things about how to build snow sculptures!"

"Neither do I," Shade snickered before taking an arm and draping it over Ren's shoulder. "But I figured it would make today a little more . . . interesting."

Ren stared at him blankly for a few moments, but then her face grew with a smile.

"Sounds like fun!" she laughed. "We'll kick their asses."

Shade smirked back. "Now we're talking."

* * *

Before the competition started, Shade and Ren had an opportunity to meet the rest of the contestants. There were four others – a girl who looked to be about their age, with long black hair that hung over one of her eyes; a shorter girl with messy brown hair; Uzuki, the girl Shade knew who had challenged Ganon to a game of shot class chess just a few weeks earlier; and Uzuki's boyfriend, Peter.

"Looks like there isn't much competition this year," Shade pointed out.

Ren shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well. We'll have better chances of winning, right?"  
Shade smirked devilishly. "But less people to crush."

Ren smirked back at him. As they were walking out to take their places out in the arena, Ren could see the girl with the black hair looking around with a strange twinge of paranoia in her eyes, and she was nervously playing with a marble in her hand.

_Geez, she doesn't look like she takes competitions lightly, _Ren thought as she and Shade took their spots out in the snowy clearing.

The head judge walked forward and introduced the contestants. Shade Kokiri and Ren Arundel; Uzuki Kasahara and Peter Larken; Ana Ferra; and Aron Cardonell. When he was finished introducing the contestants, the competition began.

Ren and Shade jumped right into work, building up a huge structure around them from the snow they were provided with. They packed the snow tightly into high walls that went up as high as their heads, until they had a strong circular arena surrounding them. While Shade worked on refining the details of the structure, Ren got down into the snow and started crafting little people and soldiers. She gave them miniscule swords and helmets and armor.

When Ren looked back from what she was working on, Shade already had a decent drawbridge going from the front of the structure, and about an hour and a half had passed. She figured they had enough little soldiers, so she jumped back up out of the snow and started refining some smaller details into the structure, like screws, lines, and rough patches.

While they were working, Shade and Ren paid attention to their competitions' sculptures as well. Uzuki and Peter had some kind of tall column built up, but Uzuki looked like she was trying to mold strange arms coming off it. Peter seemed to be sculpting a head onto the top of it.

The girl with the brown hair, Aron, had a big block built up, but she was quickly taking out large parts of it completely. It looked like one of the booths that were built up around the festival.

Finally, Ana looked like she had one of the biggest structures there. It was about ten feet high, and she was in the process of smoothing out the snow on the outside. What Ren and Shade could already tell was that it was some kind of house, and it appeared to be hollowed out from the inside.

After a long while later of packing snow, carving details, and fixing up other problems, the competition was over, and it was time for the judging.

Ren rubbed her hands together furiously. Even though she was wearing gloves, all the digging around in the snow had made her hands very cold.

Shade looked over at the other sculptures. "Hey, Ren, check that out." He pointed at the sculpture Ana had made – it looked a lot like Spongebob Squarepant's pineapple house.

"Wow, that's creative," Ren snickered. "Think it'll beat our battle fort?"

"We'll have to wait and see," Shade replied. "Although, that . . . _thing _that Peter and Uzuki made . . . it's kind of creepy."

They both looked over to the tall man-like creature they had made out of snow, tentacles lashing out from its body and looking so real that it almost appeared that they could grab the both of them at any minute. Its head didn't appear to have any significant facial features – no mouth, no eyes, no nose, nothing. Ren couldn't tell if this was a part of the sculpture or if they just hadn't had enough time to add those details.

Ren and Shade waited while the judge's made their final decisions on the winners. When the head judge stepped forward again, he began to name off the people who won.

"In third place is Uzuki Kasahara and Peter Larken, with their sculpture, 'The Tall Man'," he said into the microphone.

_Wow, they actually placed,_ Shade thought. _I guess the tentacles do add a nice touch though. Kind of impressive how they built them without them falling down. _

"In second place is Shade Kokiri and Ren

The group waited for the final results from the judges. Five minutes passed, and finally the head judge came out to give out the results of the competition. With his little microphone in hand, he began to speak to the crowd.

"Well, we have a lot of interesting sculptures of poop," he began. "And as always, we had to think over it a lot on who won. We shall begin by naming off the third and second place winner."

He brought up a little piece of paper and adjusted his small, round glasses.

"In third place is Uzuki Kasahara and Peter Larken, with their sculpture, 'The Tall Man'," he announced.

The crowd clapped and cheered.

"In second place is Shade Kokiri and Ren Arudnel, with their sculpture, 'Very Cool Battle Fort'." The judge chuckled.

"Nice name," Ren snickered.

"Eh, the name doesn't make the sculpture," Shade muttered, shrugging his shoulders. "Besides, it's just as the title says – 'very cool'."

_If we got second place, that Ana girl must have gotten first with her pineapple house,_ Ren thought. _I doubt that Aron with her magazine kiosk thing would have beaten that._

Ren's predictions proved true when the judge announced, "And finally, in first place . . . Ana Ferra's life-size replica of Spongebob Squarepant's pineapple house, hollowed out from the inside and completely furnished!"

Shade's jaw dropped open. "Completely _furnished?!_" he gasped. "I thought it was just hollowed out . . . !"

Ren was shocked too. She was amazed how this girl could make such a realistic sculpture with such detail in just a couple hours. She had clearly done this before.

When the judge had left, Shade let out a sigh.

"Ah well," he said. "Better luck next time." Shade was about to leave with Ren when Uzuki came up to them.

"Hey, this is great," Uzuki said to him. She stared down at the soldiers Ren had built with an evil grin on her face. "Um . . . do you mind if I squash your little people?"

Shade looked at Ren first. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Of course," Shade said with a smile. "I'd love it if you did the honors."

Uzuki's smiled widened, and she began to stomp viciously on the little snow soldiers. "Die, die, all you miserable worms!" she laughed out loud with an edge of insanity in her voice.

Shade couldn't help but laugh as she watched her jump on the soldiers, squishing them into the snow where they came from.

"Creepy," Ren muttered.

Shade pulled her in close. "Speak for yourself."

* * *

After the competition was over, Shade and Ren began to just wander around the festival grounds. They really didn't have anything else to do, so they were hoping that they would just coincidentally find something.

"I'm not really looking forward to going back to school," Shade sighed.

"Oh?" Ren asked. "I don't blame you. I can't wait to get the hell out of there. Too much drama."

"Aren't you the cause of half of that drama?" Shade snickered.

"Well, that's nice," Ren growled back.

Shade sighed. "Sorry. Didn't mean to be rude."

"Well, I could say the same thing about you," Ren laughed. "Pushing Link into a thorn bush – you beat me to it."  
"You seem to be getting over him in a decent, non-violent manner," Shade said.

"He's not worth my time."

"Dating his brother though? I feel like this is still just a way to get back at him."

Ren stopped walking.

". . . You think that's what this is?"

Shade looked back at her. "I've got my suspicions, yes."

Ren shook her head. "I'm going out with you Shade, because I _like _you. How would this be getting back at Link? Make him _jealous_? Sure, he can be a big baby, but he's still smarter than that." She let out a sigh.

Shade sighed as well. "Sorry if I made you feel like that. I like you too, Ren. I was just being cautious. I do like you – you're funny, you've got a great personality, and most of all, you're not a complete robot like the rest of the mindless idiots at the school."

Ren rolled her eyes, but she still seemed to have a slight, intended grin growing on her face. "Now you're just complimenting me to get you out of trouble."

"I also know that, like other women, you like twisting up peoples' words," Shade said with a devious edge to his voice before pulling her in close, his hands wrapped around her back. "But I like that about you. At least you know how to do it _properly_."

Ren was smirking now. "Well, you're good at what you do – completely torturing Link and anyone else you feel like it just seems to come natural to you."

"You make it sound like it's _easy_," Shade chuckled.

"Seems to be easy for you."

Shade looked around to see where they were now. When he looked to his left, he saw a stall that was set up for cupcake-decorating.

"Ooh, cupcakes!" Shade exclaimed. "Wanna go decorate one?"

Ren raised an eyebrow at him. "Aren't you a little old for stuff like that?"  
Shade shot her a glare, and pouted. "No one's too old for cupcakes, Ren. Sheesh."

Shade brought Ren over to where the stand was. There were tables set up in the same area, where people had their cupcakes sitting in front of them, tubes of icing scattered around them.

Shade went up to one of the people at the counter – a girl with frizzy red hair and freckles – and paid the fee for two cupcakes. When she brought them out to them from the heated display cases, Shade took them both and brought them over to a table that was less crowded. The two of them sat down and began icing. Along with the icing, there were bowls filled with all kinds of extra toppings – smarties, licorice bits, chocolate sprinkles, mini marshmallows, rainbow sprinkles, and stuff that Shade and Ren had never even seen before.

While Ren was working on decorating the top of her cupcake, she looked over to see Shade smothering it in anything that was chocolate. He already had chocolate icing with a layer of nutella over it – she couldn't believe that they had actually included Nutella, but she wasn't complaining – along with chocolate sprinkles, chocolate syrup, Hershey bits, and chocolate chips.

"Shade, slow the hell down!" Ren exclaimed. "You're going to O.D. on chocolate!"

"Please, this is nothing," Shade snickered as he began to pour another layer of chocolate syrup on top of it all.

Ren stared at him as he added more chocolate chips on top of the syrup. The whole thing was just a big chocolate mess now – you could barely even tell it was a cupcake to begin with.

While Shade was slowly killing himself with chocolate, Ren decorated her cupcake to look like a kitty, making little licorice whiskers, adding smarties for eyes, and a chocolate chip for a nose. When she was done, she took a picture of it with her cellphone and then started to pick away at it, eating it bit by bit. When Shade was finally done adding his millionth layer of chocolate to his own cupcake, he started to manoeuvre his way through all the chocolate, pulling some parts of the cupcake off and eating it first before eating other parts. He had easily ten napkins around him for wiping his fingers and his face as he ate it.

"Want some?" Shade asked, holding out a small piece towards her.

Ren shook her head. "Sorry, but if I eat that much chocolate I think I'll get a headache."

"More for me then," Shade snickered before finishing up the last bit of the cupcake. There was more chocolate on the napkins than he had actually eaten, but he still seemed to be enjoying it.

Shade let out a sigh after he was done. "That was great. I saw this neat video game place set up somewhere on the way over here – do you want to check it out after you're done?"

Ren liked the sounds of that. She didn't look it, but she was actually pretty good at video games. She knew it wouldn't be hard to kick him around a little bit in a good shooter or fighting game.

Ren smirked at him. "Sure thing."

* * *

"Camper, camper, _camper!" _Ren shouted as she watched Shade play Call of Duty against three other teenagers. They were on online play, so they were playing against another team from who-knows-where.

"Where?!" Shade yelled back.

"Up there in the tower! He's got a sniper rifle!"

Shade quickly equipped his own sniper rifle and hid off behind another tower, and aimed to where Ren was pointing. He used the scope to aim and then headshot the guy down.

"Ugh, thank you so much!" the guy playing next to Shade sighed, giving Ren a smile of relief. "He was pissing the shit out of me!"

"Do they really count as campers if they're a sniper?" Shade asked.

"Does it matter? She helped you get rid of him," the other guy said.

The round continued for a little while, until Shade's team eventually won.

"Take that," Shade snickered.

Ren looked over to another game station. "Hey, why don't we play some TF2? They've got it set up over there, and I'd like to give a game a shot."

"Oh yeah, you play TF2. I forget sometimes because . . . well, you just don't seem like the kind of person who'd be into that kind of stuff."

"Because I'm a girl?" Ren questioned him with a scowl.

"Uh, well, no . . ."

"Come on," Ren growled, taking Shade's hand. "I'm going to kick your ass."

Ren pulled Shade over to the station where Team Fortress 2 was set up. She took the second controller, and Shade took the first, and they selected Payload to play. Then they selected the server that was being held by the people running the whole video game tournament event. When the game loaded and they were in, Ren selected her player – a sniper – and joined the red team. Shade picked a demoman to play as, as joined the blue team.

"Ugh . . . I _hate _blue . . ." Shade sighed.

"Everybody hates blue," Ren laughed.

When the round started, Ren was on the defending team, and Shade was on the attacking.

"Alright, let's see what you can do," Shade challenged Ren with a sly grin.

When the round began, bullets were already flying, and Ren had found a good place to aim at her targets while they were still at their spawn point.

"Dirty play," Shade growled. "Surrounding us at the gate so we can't get out to move our cart . . ."

"It's not dirty play," Ren said. "It's strategy."

Shade's team desperately tried to leave their spawn building but with no success. However, soon there were enough of the red team's members taken down that they could move the cart ahead; even Ren had been shot down by a player who had changed to a sniper.

"Alright, now it's getting interesting," Shade said as he charged ahead as a demoman and started shooting out sticky bombs to strike anyone on the opposite team who tried to get too close. However, within a mere moment, Ren had located him through the scope of her sniper and gunned him down.

"Damn, I was running too," Shade exclaimed. "You weren't kidding when you said you were good at this game."

"You shouldn't underestimate me when it comes to TF2," Ren beamed.

Shade was in the process of re-spawning. When the timer was up, his character came back to life in the building . . . only to be shot down by a Heavy.

"Wait . . . what the hell was _that?!_" he yelled. "You can't get into the opposite team's building to reach their exact spawn point! So how the hell did this guy . . . ?"

"He must be using some kind of cheat," Ren sighed. "_That's _dirty play."

"That son of a-!" Shade respawned several more times, as did his teammates, but the same thing kept happening – they'd respawn, and then they'd be shot down by the same person.

"This is fucking bullshit!" Shade yelled. He looked around, and soon locked his eyes on a man who was sitting by himself, typing away on his laptop.

"Hey, you mind if I use that?" Shade asked the man. When the man gave him an odd look, he said, "No, no, don't worry, I just need to fix something up with the tournament – we've got a bit of a cheater on TF2 and I'd like to show him who's boss."

"Hmm . . ." the man mumbled. "Alright, but I'm watching you."

"Thank you," Shade said to the man as he was handed the laptop. The two of them went back to where the game was set up, and Shade plugged the laptop into the system where the game was running from. Shade typed a few things into the laptop, and suddenly a new screen came up, with all sorts of code running through it.

"Shade? What are you doing?" Ren asked curiously. She didn't know that Shade had any sort of programming skill, but she was mesmerized watching him type away random letters and symbols on the screen.

"Just a minute here," Shade grumbled, his eyes still trained on the screen. "And three . . . two . . . one." Shade hit the enter key – as soon as he did, the Heavy's body started jumping all across the screen. Shade quickly re-spawned and shot down the Heavy before he could realize what was going on – even if he had, the character was having too many spasms for him to aim properly anyway. Shade shot him down, causing the character spasms to stop.

"You know, reporting him would have taken less time," the other guy who had been playing with Shade said.

"Not as fun though," Shade muttered. He unplugged the laptop and handed it back to the man he had borrowed it from. "Thank you – you've helped me do a great service."

"Uh . . . no problem . . ." the man said as he took his laptop back and went back to where he was sitting before.

Shade let out a sigh and took his controller again. He smiled at Ren.

"Shall we continue?"


	41. Ganondorf and Nabooru

**Hey guys,**

**Sorry for the long update. Been studying for finals and stuff so it's been hard to take a breather let alone work on OCL. There are a few things I'd actually like to address though before getting on with this chapter. **

**First, I got a review a while ago saying I'm "against bronies". I'm not going to try to take this too seriously, but I actually AM a brony, thank you very much, and the fact that I can joke about it just shows that I do have a life and am not that obsessed with it (thank god). **

**Second, I'd like to clarify that while Gerudo men are only born every 100 years, that's not going to be the case in OCL (although I probably won't have any other male Gerudo in OCL considering Ganondorf is the only male Gerudo in the entire Zelda series anyway xD). So if there are any other male Gerudo to show up in OCl, don't freak out with the Zelda theorizing and the fact that in actual Zelda canon-ness, a Gerudo male is only born every 100 years - it's not going to be the case in OCL. **

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 41: The Boys' Day Out – Ganondorf and Nabooru**

Ganondorf finished combing his red hair back into a low ponytail, leaving a few strands of hair to hang by the right side of his face. He didn't mind wearing it back – at least it wasn't left to hang out. If he hadn't been so muscular and husky, most people would believe he was a girl from behind with his long, red hair. When he was a child – long before he had grown to this size – a friend of his had actually mistaken him for one of their female friends, thinking they were just another redhead school girL. That girl who had mistaken him for their friend was now his girlfriend – Nabooru. Of course, he could admit that his hair did look somewhat look like Aveil's – the girl who was friends with Nabooru – but everyone from the Gerudo tribe had red hair anyway, so it didn't really matter. Ganondorf's was longer than a lot of the males in the Gerudo tribe, though, but he didn't mind; he liked it that way.

While he was getting ready, Ganondorf heard a knock at his door.

_Who the hell could that be? _he thought. _I thought I was meeting Nay at the cafe downstreet . . ._

When Ganondorf made it to the door, he heard his grandmother yell at him from the other room.  
"Ganon, answer the door!"  
"I know, grandma!" he shouted back. His grandmother always irritated him. She could never seem to say anything with a smile.

Ganondorf grabbed the doorknob and opened the door to be greeted by Vaati and Veran. Vaati was an old friend of his, although he wasn't quite acquainted by his girlfriend, Veran. Veran was pretty tall, a good two and a half feet taller than Vaati; but then again, Vaati was always a bit on the short side. However, they suited each other in personality, if anything.

"Oh . . . hey, you two," he said. "What's up?"

"Just in the neighborhood and thought we'd drop by to say hi," Vaati replied. "We're going to meet up with Onox, Ghirahim, Groose, and Sakon later too."

"Just getting a group together, huh?" Ganondorf asked Veran. Ganondorf only knew Onox – Veran's brother – and he knew that the guy was kind of on the weird side. Of course, Ghirahim was pretty strange too. Groose had a big ego. And Sakon . . . well, he just couldn't trust Sakon.

"Don't remind me," Veran sighed. "Nonetheless, we were wondering if you would like to join us later."

"Well, I've got a date with Nabooru, but if you guys wanted to meet up sometime later on tonight, that would be fine," Ganondorf replied.

Suddenly, Ganondorf's grandmother started yelling from the living room.

"WHO'S AT THE DOOR?!"

Ganondorf rolled his eyes and turned around to face the direction of the living room.

"SHUT UP, GRANDMA!"

When Ganondorf turned back, he could see Vaati's face was a little red – it only turned red when he was on the verge of laughter.

"Let it out later, dude," Ganondorf sighed. "Either way, can't leave here until mom gets home – someone's got to watch after the old bat, after all." He checked his watch – it was two o'clock. "She'll probably be home in the next half hour, and then I'm heading out after that."

"Alright . . . we should choose a place to meet up then, and a time," Vaati suggested.

"I'm good for . . . I dunno, how about eight? At that outdoor cafe that's open year-round?" Ganondorf said. It was where he was going to meet Nabooru in about a half hour anyway, and he at least knew where it was.

"Sounds good to me," Vaati replied. "You fine with hanging out with Ganondorf, Veran?"

Veran shrugged her shoulders. "We've already got four other guys coming along with us. Can't hurt to have one more."

"Awesome," Vaati said with a smile. "Although, it's too bad Shade couldn't come along."

"What's he up to?"

"Eh, had to meet up with Ren for some kind of snow-sculpture contest. You know those two are dating now, yeah?"

"Yeah, he was telling me. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out."

"GANONDORF!"

Ganondorf cringed at the sound of his grandmother's cranky voice.

"Sorry guys, I gotta go – the devil hath summoned me."

Vaati and Veran both smiled.

"See you later, then," Vaati said before waving goodbye and turning around to head back to his car, Veran following close behind.

Ganondorf let out a sigh and pulled one of his loose strands of red hair out from in front of his face.

"I'm coming, you old bat," Ganondorf muttered before retreating back into the house.

* * *

Ganondorf brought the small lighter up and lit the cigarette that was held tightly between his lips. The smoke tasted like strawberries in his mouth, and he released a batch of the smoke as several small smoke rings into the cold winter air. He kept himself distanced from the other people in the outdoor cafe – one of the few outdoor cafes to stay open all year round – so as not to bother them with his smoking. Sure, the smoke was flavored and smelled like strawberries, but he knew the staff would start bugging him if he got too close to the perfect people who _didn't _smoke – it always worked that way, even in places that remained as "smoke-as-you-please" areas. It as ridiculous.

Soon, the person he had been waiting for arrived – Nabooru, dressed in a red winter jacket, tight blue jeans, and knee-length boots. Silver hoops glittered in her ears like the snow as the sun shone down on her. On her arms were multiple bracelets that were all the same simple, round design, and her red hair was tied back into a low ponytail.

"Hey there," she greeted him.

"Hey," Ganondorf mumbled between the cigarette that was back in his mouth. He blew out one last smoke ring and then crushed the cigarette into the snow underneath his boot.

"You look great, babe," Ganondorf said to her before pulling her in close and kissing her lightly. Nabooru could taste the flavor of strawberries when he kissed her.

"Thank you," Nabooru said with a smile. "So do you."

Ganondorf turned her in another direction and started walking her down the path, his arm wrapped around her waist the whole time. They walked down the stone path, passing by other couples and booths were all kinds of games and other festivities were being held.

"So, Vaati stopped by this morning," Ganondorf started to say. "He was wondering if you and I would want to meet up with him and the rest of the guys later on tonight."

"Who else is meeting up?" Nabooru asked.

"Uh . . ." Ganon thought of all the names Vaati had listed to him earlier that day. "Ghirahim . . . Onox . . . Groose . . . Veran is with Vaati too . . . oh yeah, and Sakon."

"Sounds fine," Nabooru said. "It would be nice to see Veran again."

"Yeah, she was with Vaati when he told me about the meet-up. She doesn't seem to have changed much. I'm interested to see how Groose and Ghirahim are doing. Sakon's probably still his creepy old self too."

"I've never met Sakon," Nabooru muttered. "I've heard some things about him though."

"Just keep your purse in front of you and don't keep your eyes off him for a minute," Ganon warned her. "He's a serious kleptomaniac. I don't trust him in the slightest bit."

"Yet you seem comfortable to hang out with him," Nabooru teased.

"Only because I've got Groose to give me a hand if things get messy," Ganon sighed, scratching his head and blowing out a smoke ring from his cigarette. "He's pretty burly. He was on my wrestling team back in junior high. He was one of the best ones on the team . . . next to me, of course," he snickered.

"Is he really that bad?" Nabooru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me? He was thrown into the slammer for a month after mugging that elderly woman from that place that specializes in crafting explosives for the military. She was transporting materials from out of town one time and Sakon ambushed her. He's a snake. I admit, I'm an asshole too, but even I don't have the gall to attack a defenseless old woman in the middle of the night. That just shows what a coward he really is – he wouldn't stand a chance if he actually tried to pick someone in a fight."

"Well, let's try not to worry about Sakon," Nabooru sighed. "There will be plenty of people around to keep an eye on him, at least.

The two wandered the carnival grounds for a little while, briefly checking each booth to see if there was anything fun or worth doing going on. Nabooru tightly held Ganondorf's hand, her body slightly chilled from the brisk of winter, but eventually Ganondorf took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. She smiled at him, and leaned in closer to him as they walked.

Ganondorf and Nabooru ended up spending a while at the concert area where the musicians were up on stage, playing their instruments loudly to a jazzy, Christmas tune.

"I've always wanted to learn how to play an instrument," Ganondorf sighed as he watched the trumpeters and the trombonists and the flutists play their music gently to the soft brush of the percussion in the background.

"Oh? Have you ever considered taking lessons?" Nabooru asked.

"Please, I don't have the time," he muttered. "I've got sports and shit to deal with. The wrestling team and stuff. Not to mention my job over at the construction site downtown."

"Well, what instrument were you thinking of learning?" Nabooru continued to ask.

Ganondorf stopped, and then looked around. He didn't see anybody he knew near him, so he leaned in close and whispered, ". . . Flute."

"Flute's not that hard," a voice from behind him exclaimed. Ganondorf jumped in shock and embarrassment. When he looked up, he saw Uzuki standing above them from behind the bench they were sitting on, a wide grin on her face.

"How long have you been there?!" he choked.

"Well, I was walking around for a bit, and then I went to buy some cosplay stuff, then I stared at the wall a little, and then I ended up here," Uzuki giggled. "Sooooo, you want to learn how to play the flute? I didn't think that would be your initial choice."

Ganondorf turned a deep red. "W-Well, I just think it's a pretty-sounding instrument, that's all . . ."

"Pretty is right, but don't learn how to control those high notes and you may as well kiss your eardrums goodbye," she snickered. She jumped up over the bench and plopped herself down next to Ganondorf.

"Are you here on your own?" Ganondorf asked.  
"Nah, I came with Peter. I think he went to the bathroom or something. He's gonna be in there for the next fifteen minutes _minimum_ so I decided I wasn't going to wait on him." Uzuki leaned over and waved at Nabooru. "You must be Ganondorf's girl." She held a hand towards her. "I'm a drinking buddy of Ganon's. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Uzuki."

"Um . . . Nabooru," Nabooru introduced herself. She hesitantly took Uzuki's outstretched hand and shook it. It was cold to the touch – like the skin of a dead person. Uzuki soon took her hand back and shoved both of them into her jacket pockets.

"I could teach you all you need to know about flute," Uzuki said to Ganon. "I've been playing it since seventh grade. I was in my school band back when I attended."  
"Did I say I wanted to learn it?" Ganon snapped. "I said it would be a pretty instrument to play. I don't necessarily want to learn how to play it."

"What, you think it's some kind of _girly _instrument?" she growled in response. "The flute is just as challenging as any other instrument – just because it has a bit of a feminine sound doesn't make it a girly instrument. If you really want to learn it, then just go for it. But don't make me waste _my _time."

"Not like I was asking you either," Ganondorf mumbled. "You just jumped in assuming I wanted you to teach me."

Uzuki sighed and then stretched out on the bench, her feet stuck way out into the open. "Well, that's your choice I guess. I really can't stop you from doing what you want to do."

Before Ganondorf could say anything, Peter showed up.

"There you are," Peter said. "I've been looking all over for you. I was afraid you were ta-"

He looked over at Ganondorf. "Oh. Hi there. You're that guy from a while back, right?"

Ganondorf nodded slowly.

"Well . . . thanks for keeping an eye on her," he sighed.

Uzuki looked over at Peter. "Hey, calm your tits. I can handle myself, thank you."

"You know what I was worried about, Uzuki," Peter snapped. "You can't take all of this so lightly! What if you had been . . ." He hesitated over his choice of words for a moment, ". . . hurt?"

"Do I _look _hurt to you?" she replied. "Besides, I'm already in the midst of being scissored apart like an apple. Nothing you do will make it any less physically and mentally painful."

Ganondorf cut in. "I'm sorry, but what are we talking about?"

Uzuki sighed. "Nothing you have to concern yourself with. I'm fine." She shot a glare at Peter. "Quit the worrying all the time, yeah?"

Peter turned his gaze away for a moment, a scowl on his face. ". . . Fine."

Uzuki smiled. "Thank you." She turned back to Ganondorf and Nabooru. "Say, do you two want to go grab a bite to eat? I'm going to be heading over to that video game tournament in a bit, but if you guys wanted to go somewhere, we can go. My treat."

"Uh . . . no, that's fine, but thanks," Ganondorf said.

"Nonsense, I'm not going to take no for an answer!" Uzuki said happily, standing up and grabbing Ganondorf's arm. "I'm sure Nabooru would love to be treated to some food too. I'll buy you two a third wheel lunch, okay?"

"Well . . . if it's alright with you . . ."

"Peachy-fine!" Uzuki giggled as she continued to attempt to pull Ganondorf's body off the bench. "Come onnnn."

"Alright, I'm coming."

* * *

Ganondorf and Nabooru shared a serving of french fries while Uzuki told them funny stories at the table. Peter was helping himself to a slice of pizza and mozza sticks. Uzuki hadn't bought anything, but she would occasionally reach over and grab a french fry from Ganondorf or a mozza stick from Peter.

"So yeah, I'm online and on the RP section of the website when this one guy posts right _squat in the middle of my RP _that he wants to join. I mean, who does that? So I tell him to please delete his post and then ask to join and fill out the character template in the goddamn discussion thread. And man, what a shit character he made. Now he's on the loose in the RP community and apparently he did the RP'ing on another sister website that . . . really shouldn't RP, when it comes down to it. It's pretty bad. I was pretty ready to kick his ass."

Ganondorf stared at her. "I'm sorry, but . . . I really didn't understand _anything _you just said."

Uzuki grinned. "I know. I just had to get it off my chest."

"You're the only person I know who gets that bothered by the roleplaying community," Peter grumbled.

"Hey, Peter, guess what?" Uzuki asked.

"What?"

"Fuck you." She flicked a french fry in his face. "I'm not the only one you want to mess with when it comes to RP's. Hell, I'm one of the _nicer _ones."

"Mmhmm," Peter muttered before taking a bite of his pizza.

Ganondorf checked the time. It was already seven, and it was starting to get dark.

"We should head out soon," Peter said grimly. "It's getting pretty dark."

Uzuki glared at him again. "The dark doesn't make any difference to me, sweetheart."

"I'm serious, Uzuki."

She sighed. "Fine, fine. I was getting bored anyway." She got up from the table and picked up Peter's empty styrofoam plate, then continuedto throw it out into the trashcan nearby.

She smiled at Ganondorf. "It was nice getting to see you."

"Yeah . . . you too," Ganondorf replied.

"And it was nice getting to meet you," she said to Nabooru. "You and Ganondorf work well together."

"Oh . . . thank you," Nabooru said with a gentle smile as she squeezed Ganon's hand.

Uzuki let out a brief, but sharp cough. "Ugh . . . Alright, I gotta get home, take my medication. Gonna be a long night."

"You're not staying for the fireworks?"

"Nah, they never were a big deal for me," she sighed before coughing again. "See you guys later. Have fun."

Then she turned and left with Peter.

* * *

Ganondorf led Nabooru up the stone steps until they were at the top of the old tower, where the church bell was sitting idly and you could see over the festival and everyone below.

"Wow . . . it's beautiful up here," Nabooru gasped.

"Well, we have an hour until we have to meet up with the guys, so I figured I would spend some quality time with you somehow before we end up with more friends," Ganondorf said. "I used to come up here all the time with my sister when we were younger."

"Oh? You have a sister?" Nabooru asked. "I've never met her."  
Ganondorf went silent. "She's not with us anymore. She was . . . abducted as a child. Nobody ever found her. She's been presumed dead."

Nabooru's expression went blank, and she had a sickly look on her face. "Oh my god . . . Ganon, that's terrible . . . I-I'm so sorry."  
Ganon smiled at her. "No, it's alright. It happened years and years ago. We got over it a long time ago."

He approached Nabooru and stroked a strand of her red hair out from in front of her eyes.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" he whispered.

Nabooru smiled at him, and then gently leaned forward and kissed him. Ganon slowly kissed her back, his hands gently resting on her shoulders.

After a few moments, Ganondorf pulled away.

"We'd . . . better head down to meet up with the guys," he sighed.

Nabooru nodded. "Okay."

Nabooru started down the stairs, but Ganondorf stayed behind a few moments. He stared out over the rooftops of the city, taking in the coolness of the winter air around him and the sight of the twinkling snow that had blanketed the ground.

He looked to his right, where his sister always used to stand by his side, staring out over the city with him. He envisioned her standing there, her red hair shining in the sunshine, her eyes filled with wonder as she stared out over the city and took wild guesses at how many people possibly lived there.

Ganon quickly turned his gaze away, erasing the vision of his sister. She was gone. He had to accept that.

Ganon took out a cigarette and lit it, placing it between his lips afterwards and blowing a smoke ring out into the winter air. Then he let out a tired sigh and turned around, heading down the stairs and leaving behind the vision of his sister crying out for him, begging for him to wait.

* * *

Ganon and Nabooru waited at the cafe where they were going to meet up with the guys for about twenty minutes when they finally showed. Just as Vaati had explained earlier that day, the group was made up of six people – Vaati, Veran, Onox, Ghirahim, Groose, and Sakon. Ganon had forgotten that Ghirahim was older than them by a year; he was already in his graduating year of high school. Now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure that he had gone out with some chick named Midna or someone like that from another school. He wasn't sure.

"Hey there, bud," Groose snorted when he saw Ganon, putting him into a headlock immediately. "You still on the wrestling team?"

"Of course not," Ganon growled. "You should know, considering you're _still _on the _team_."

"Ya shouldn't have quit, then!" Groose laughed.

Ganon twisted himself out of Groose's headlock. "Well, I got bored."

When Ganon looked over, he saw that Veran and Nabooru had already hit up a conversation. He let out a sigh and decided to turn his attention to what the boys were talking about.

"Onox here has actually joined the team," Groose said with a grin. "He sure is tough . . . for an amateur."

Onox rolled his eyes. "I could take you down any day."

"Ugh, you two, talking about wrestling all the time!" Ghirahim exclaimed. "Honestly, don't you two realize there's more to life than just throwing other sweaty men around? It's disgusting, and absolutely vulgar! It's a wonder how you two haven't completely destroyed all your brain cells from getting thrown around so much!"

"Well, of course _you'd _find it vulgar," Sakon snorted.

"Not like you'd have the guts to do it either," Ghirahim hissed back. "As for me, I'll stick to my hair care and soap operas."

The boys had their conversation about wrestling for a while, until eventually the girls stepped forward and suggested they find somewhere to sit for the fireworks show. They explored the area for a bit, until they found where most people were setting up their lawn chairs and blankets to watchthe fireworks over the lake in Western Castle Town. The lake was huge, and was the center-piece of a park found in Castle Town, where people normally took their family and pets for walks during the day. At night during the holidays, lights were strewn across the rooftops and lampposts, twinkling brightly with the stars above.

Ganondorf settled himself and Nabooru on a park bench near the lake. There weren't a lot of people in the park yet, but more were starting to stream in from all directions.

"Castle Town is always so beautiful at night," Nabooru sighed as she laid her head down on Ganon's shoulder. "I always love fireworks. We never saw them much from where I grew up out in the desert, so it's always so wonderful to see them now."

"I used to watch them with my sister," Ganon said. "She loved the colors. It makes me wonder . . . if she's still alive, and if she's watching them right now."

Nabooru held his hand and squeezed it tightly. Then she leaned up and kissed his lips softly.

"I'm sure she would be, if she were here," she whispered.

As the fireworks shot off in the sky, Ganondorf and Nabooru huddled together in the brisk cold of the winter air, and let only thoughts of happiness dwindle in their mind.

* * *

**A/N: Only one chapter of this left! (thank god). The next chapter has been partly done for a while now so it should be up MUCH faster than this one. Thanks again guys for being so patient, and I hope the holidays treat you well! **


	42. Uzuki and Peter

"_Sever the head of cornucopia. _

_We fuck the earth and don't know why it cries._

_Do you believe in stormy weather, stormy weather?_

_Hurricanes play musical chairs with homes and chattel._

_The whirling dervish tornadoes wreak all disaster._

_See-saw tsunamis give and take, what's the matter?_

_I loved you in the sunshine_

_You chase the moon with a spear_

_I pray that you will be all mine _

_You foam at the mouth and disappear." _

_- Serj Tankian, "Cornucopia"_

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 42: The Boys' Day Out – Uzuki and Peter**

Uzuki sat against the wall of her /house/, staring off into space as she listened to the distant moaning in the walls and the floorboards. She could hear it from downstairs, creeping through the walls, slithering across the floors, speaking through the air. This /house/ was always talking, and it bore interesting conversations for Uzuki.

The tattooed girl played with a white string between her fingers, making designs as she twirled it around her finger tips and pulled the string until it was taut. A /house/. Such a lovely design of a little string /house/, with four sides and one string held up higher than the others to be a little triangle roof, and a string running across to separate the /house's/ main structure from the roof.

There it was again. The moaning from below. It was like the sound of a boat from the inside when it hit the waves – a loud groan, the sound of the /house's/ structure and mechanics grinding with each other.

How could she even call it a /house/? At first glance it would seem so, but then people like Zant would find out exactly what it was - a black hole that sucked everybody in and devoured them like a monster devouring children who have been lost in the forest.

But could she do anything about it? She didn't think so. And she didn't care. She was actually quite content living with the beasts in the /house/. She knew they would stay out of her territory if she stayed out of theirs. Of course, it hardly seemed fair, considering her room was the only place in the whole /house/ where He wouldn't haunt her. It was too high up – He couldn't reach her there. But everywhere else in the /house/? She would have to make any of her trips downstairs quick and worth it. She had even installed a mini-fridge and a small, plug-in portable stove in her room to cook her food. She just had to run downstairs every once in a while to grab rations out of the kitchen cupboards or to leave the /house/ so she could buy more food.

It was all about survival.

But she needed to get out. She was getting uneasy with the growing sounds that were echoing throughout the /house/, and she needed a breath of fresh air, if it would help her body at all at this point. Everything was creaking, groaning, moaning, playing a symphony of voices that didn't exist or did they? she wasn't sure, but it seemed real to her, at least as real to her as it would to any other person, but those other people didn't understand, they couldn't hear the voices, they didn't understand what was going on in this /house/, at least not until they entered it, and even then they wouldn't hear it for long before they were eaten, gobbled right up, swallowed, put to rest in the stomach of the beast in this /house/ to forever lay there with the rest of the children and adults who had carelessly walked into the /house/ and they would die float around in the stomach and dread the moment when finally they would be broken down into mush by the acid within the beast's stomach and they wouldn't even be able to scream, no, they wouldn't be heard, they wouldn't be able to open their mouths to speak, scream or cry, a silent silent death.

The phone rang. Uzuki jumped. Before she answered it, she wiped the sweat from her brow that had formed during her paranoid thought process and tried to regain her sense of peace so that she could put up a good act for whoever the hell it was calling.  
After the fourth ring, she answered.

"Hello?" she said as normally as she could.

"Uzuki? Hey. It's Peter," the low voice on the other end said. "You sound a little shaken up. Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Uzuki said. Then she changed her tone of voice to something more erotic. "I was just rushing for the phone – you caught me while I was in the shower."

"Oh yeah? Heh, did you enjoy that?"

_God, men are so easy to distract_, Uzuki thought with an amused smirk.

"Yes, I did," Uzuki replied. "Why are you calling this early in the day?" Peter usually called her in the evenings. If he called during the day, it was always because something was up.

"I was wondering if you wanted to sign up for that snow-sculpture contest in Hyrule Castle Town with me," he said.

"Oh yeah . . . that has something to do with that New Year's Eve festival thing, right?" Uzuki asked.

"Yeah. They're still accepting applications to be a participant in the competition, so I thought maybe you'd like to join with me."

Uzuki stopped to think, and listened for the crucial groaning of the monster hiding right beneath the floorboards. It was getting closer.

"Sure thing, sweety. I can meet you somewhere."

"No, no, I can pick you up," Peter offered. "I don't mind."

More thumping and groaning.

"Peter, sweetheart, I don't think -"

"Uzuki, I'm picking you up. I'll see you in an hour."

_An hour. Not soon enough._

"Fine," Uzuki sighed.

"Alright then," Peter said with a hint of victory in his voice. "I'll see you then. Love you."

"You too," Uzuki replied. "Bye."

Before Peter could say the typical "Bye, I love you" again, Uzuki hung up. He had an awfully bad habit of saying "bye" and "I love you" a million times before hanging up. The downside of her being his first girlfriend. But she didn't mind – at least he cared.

Uzuki put her cellphone into her pocket and then laid in bed, staring at the ceiling with a blank look in her eyes. She had to come up with a plan to get out of the /house/ without getting caught. She had to be sneaky, as usual. Sneaky.

Uzuki started to giggle quietly at her own personal joke.

_Sneaky-sneaky-sneaky._

Uzuki eventually stopped giggling, and started to focus on the task at hand. Would she need anything? Her laptop. Her cellphone. Her make-up bag. Uzuki continued to compile the checklist in her head as she began to pace her room, trying her best to ignore the groans and thumping just inches below her.

_Sketchbook. Pencil. Pen. Eraser. Laptop. Ipod. Jacket. Gloves. Make-up. Thumbdrive._

She kept going over the list, trying to think of anything else. Suddenly, an item she knew she would need – surprised she hadn't thought of it before – was her video camera.

_Video camera, _she checked off in her head.

Now to come up with her plan. She started to think, trying to track down all her items in her mind and thinking of where they could be. Her laptop, Ipod, sketchbook and drawing materials were in her room, but her jacket was in the porch, as well as her gloves – she could grab those on the way out the door. But her video camera? It was in the damn living room. She would have to pass the basement door to get to the living room. And her make-up was in the downstairs bathroom – she hadn't worn make-up in weeks, and her situation had gotten worse since then so she would find it uncomfortable to be in that concealed bathroom for more than three seconds at a time. She would have to be quick and know exactly where she was going so she wouldn't have to go backwards and end up running into . . .

Uzuki swallowed, and shook her head. Fear is what He wanted her to have. She couldn't let it get to her. She had to have courage, and most of all, she had to be fearless.

Uzuki began planning out a map in her head, pinpointing all the dangerous areas and drawing out the safest – and quickest – path. Afterwards, she grabbed her small bag and started packing the items she already had into the bag. Everything but the jacket, gloves, make-up . . . and that goddamn video camera. It was really going to kill her to have to grab it, but she knew she had no choice – she had to take the camera with her everywhere now, especially with Him closing in even further on her with every second that passed.

"Alright, let's go . . ." Uzuki whispered to herself as she quietly tapped the door open bit by bit, staring out into the hallway.

After taking a deep breath, she took off.

* * *

Peter stepped out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist. He took a second towel and began to dry off his hair, rubbing the towel aggressively over his head. When he was done, he began to drag a comb through his bangs to fix them up a little. Then he took a look at his sideburns to make sure they weren't too scraggly.

When he was done cleaning up in the bathroom, he put on a black shirt with short sleeves that stuck close to his body, along with dark jeans and his grey golfing hat. He was going to leave in about ten minutes – he knew that he hadn't filled the full hour, but he didn't want to end up being late, or end up rushing.

Peter put on his gloves and wrapped his scarf around his neck, tucking it into his jacket afterwards so that it wouldn't hang. Then he grabbed his pipe off the end table near the door and stepped outside into the brisk cold winter air. He used the keys in his jacket pocket to lock the door behind him, and then he got into his four passenger car. Turning the keys in the ignition, the engine roared to life, and he slowly began to pull out of the driveway, and then drove off in the direction of Uzuki's /house/.

He just hoped Uzuki wouldn't be too mad at him for showing up early.

* * *

_Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up . . . _Uzuki thought as she paced around in the frost and snow of her front yard. She could hear the trees across her street rustling violently, sans wind – He was definitely watching her.

Uzuki fumbled around in her pockets and pulled out her iPod. She stuck the headphones into her ears and changed the song to a smooth jazz version of Nyan cat. She felt ridiculous – pacing outside, listening to smooth Nyan cat jazz, freezing her ass off, all because she had practically been kicked out of her own home by the faceless menace.

"Come _on, _Peter," Uzuki hissed. "What happened to you always showing up early?"

Suddenly, Uzuki felt a cold sensation drip down over her upper lip. She gently dabbed her nostril with her fingertip, and pulled it back to see blood.

With a sigh, Uzuki turned off her iPod, which had started blaring with static and shrieks, and let the line of blood right underneath her right nostril remain. Then in the cold silence, she began to sing to herself.

"I'm singing in the rain . . . just singing in the rain . . ."

Dark clouds drew up from above her.

"What a glorious feeling . . . I'm happy again . . ."

Drops of rain fell and landed heavily on her.

"I'm laughing at clouds so dark up above . . ."

Blood ran down Uzuki's arms. She glanced back slightly to see a faceless, suited man standing a few feet behind her.

"The sun's in my heart, and I'm ready for love . . ."

The man and the dark clouds and the rain vanished at the sound of Peter's car horn.

"Uzuki!" he called out to her. "Why are you just standing there?"

Uzuki stared over at him.

"Whoa, Uzuki, your nose is bleeding!" Peter quickly ran out of the car, pulling a handkerchief out from his back pocket. Uzuki grabbed his wrist before he could touch the cloth to her nose.

"Leave it," Uzuki growled. "It's fine. Let's Him know I'm tougher than that."

Peter stopped, and then looked around wearily, but saw nothing.

"He's still following you?" he whispered.

"Of _course _He's still following me," she muttered with a sharp edge to her voice. "That's just the way He plays his game. He chases, he eats, he wins. Over and over again."

Peter stopped her before she could continue. "Come on, get in the car. Let's go to the festival, forget all about this even just for one day. I want you to have some fun for once."

_Always having fun, Peter, _she thought, trying to keep her annoyed words back. _I wouldn't change my life for anything_.

Uzuki got into the passenger side and Peter got back behind the wheel. He started the car again and they drove down the street, away from the /house/ where He watched her take off from the depths of the forest behind it.

Uzuki knew the drive to Castle Town would be a bit of a long one, so she leaned her chair back and turned her iPod back on. Just as she was about to relax, Peter handed her a piece of tissue.

"Wipe your nose," he told her.

Uzuki sighed and snatched the tissue from his hands. She wiped the blood from her skin and then rolled the tissue up and tossed it out the window. Then she leaned back into the chair and closed her eyes, trying to find some solace and sleep in the relaxing motions of Peter's car.

* * *

When Uzuki opened her eyes again, they were in Castle Town, and Peter had parked his car away from the festivities.

"You look like you had a good sleep," Peter said.

"It was alright," Uzuki sighed as she let out a yawn and stretched out her arms. It was funny to her how easily she could fall asleep in a car, when in a bed she always felt a sense of terror and paranoia. And she didn't own a car, so sleeping out in the garage wasn't an option; it didn't matter anyway, she could only really sleep if the car was moving.

Peter locked the car doors after Uzuki stepped out, and they walked together through the festival towards where the snow sculpture competition was being held.

Uzuki checked the time on her iPod. "Oh, look at that, what a surprise – we're an _hour early_."

Peter sighed. "I-I'm sorry . . ."

"Look, you say you're not in a rush but then you get to places way too early. Clearly you are in a _rush_," Uzuki snapped at him.

"Can we just enjoy today?" Peter asked her. "We're here an hour early but there's plenty of stuff to do until then. Let's just find some way to pass the time."

". . . Fine."

So they wandered the grounds for a while, stopping to check out random booths and games as they explored, but nothing really struck Uzuki with interest. After a few minutes of walking, Uzuki soon stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh. My. God."

"What is it?" Peter asked worriedly, thinking something was wrong.

"Look at THAT!" she yelled, pointing a finger towards a booth where a girl cosplaying as an anime character was standing. "It's an anime expo booth!" She ran over hastily, leaving Peter behind. When she got there, she pushed aside two Zora folk and exclaimed to the cashier, "Nenderoid for Kagamine Rin and Len, new append, 3 inches tall with additional expressions and accessories! Pleeeasseee tell me you have one!"

"Hey, watch it!" the female Zora snapped angrily at her.

Uzuki glared back at her. "I've got important business to attend to! Unless you're actually getting something here, _back off_!"

The woman stared at her for a moment, and then stepped back a few feet. Peter soon caught up and was standing by Uzuki's side as she looked over the merchandise at the booth.

The cashier, who Uzuki recognized as a Kagamine Rin cosplayer, giggled as she watched Uzuki look through the Nenderoids and cosplay outfits.

"Sounds like you've been looking for that particular pair for a while," she said. The cashier got down behind the counter and came back up with a box that had two little blond-haired statuettes nestled gently inside.

"How much?!" Uzuki yelled.

"Five hundred rupees," the cashier replied.

Without hesitation, Uzuki pulled out five hundred rupees from her leather wallet and handed it to the woman. "There! Not a bad price."

Uzuki hugged the box happily. "My collection is almost complete up to this point! I just need the dark append for Hatsune Miku and then I'll have everything until the new releases next year!"

The cashier smiled at Uzuki's enthusiasm, but Peter seemed unmoved by it all.

"Hope you enjoy that," the cashier woman said. "We don't have the dark append here, but there's going to be an anime expo in Clock Town, Termina, in a few months, so if you could make it out there for it, I'm sure they'd have the dark append of Miku for you to buy. It might be a bit pricey though."

Uzuki nodded, and then turned to leave, when she was stopped by the Zora woman.

"Um, I'm sorry, but, um . . . why exactly would you spend _five hundred rupees _for _that_?" she asked, pointing to the box of the Kagamine Rin and Len Nendoroids Uzuki had just purchased.

"It's a Nenderoid," Uzuki exclaimed in a matter-of-fact manner. "These things aren't exactly easy to manufacture. And they're collectibles – these things will be worth a fortune a few decades down the road, if I'm even willing to part with them."

Peter let out a sigh. "Trust me, I ask her the same thing whenever she goes spending a fortune on them," he grumbled.

"Hey, I've got plenty of cash, and it's not like I have anything better to spend it on," Uzuki snapped back._ Besides, it's my money, not yours. _

Uzuki turned back to the Zora woman. "Either way, sorry for pushing you out of the way like that. But when it comes to getting one of these things, I'd kill a person if they were standing in my way. Nenderoids are amazing, and I can't call myself a fan of Vocaloid unless I collect every single damn one of them."

"I can't tell if that's healthy or not," the Zora woman replied.

Uzuki ignored her smart remark. "Meh. To each his own." She stuck the box underneath her arm and then waved goodbye to the Zora couple. "Sorry again. Have a good day."

* * *

"Can't believe we didn't win the competition," Uzuki sighed as she stared up at the snow sculpture of the thin man with the tentacle arms. "I gotta owe it to that girl who made the Spongebob /house/ – she sure was creative."

"Well, it doesn't help that you-know-who isn't known by many people," Peter grumbled.

"Whatever," Uzuki sighed. "Might help me find some others."

"I doubt it."

Uzuki ignored him and looked over to the snow fortress that the boy with the black hair had built. She was certain his name was Shade or something . . . and Link's brother? She had been so hammered when she hung out with them last that all the information had pretty much been erased from all the whiskey shots and morning hangovers. It didn't really matter to her anyway.

Uzuki approached the fortress and then smiled down at Shade's little snow people. His teammate watcher her intently; Uzuki didn't recognize her at all, but she figured it must have been his sister or girlfriend. . . something.

"Hey, this is great," Uzuki said to Shade. "Um . . . do you mind if I squash your little people?" It was a strange question but something just tempted her so much to squash their little bodies back into the snow from where they came.

With a smile, he replied, "Of course. I'd love it if you did the honors."

A wide smile grew on Uzuki's face, and she began to jump onto the little soldiers that were stationed in the snow.

"Die, die, all you miserable worms!" Uzuki laughed as she killed them. Shade laughed with her, but Peter only rolled his eyes.

When Uzuki was finished, she waved goodbye to Shade and then walked over to the pineapple /house/.

"This is really neat," she said to the girl with a smile.

"You're not going to stomp mine, are you?" the girl laughed.

Uzuki shook her head. "No, of course not, I love Spongebob! Mind if I go inside?"

"Go right ahead," Ana said with a gentle smile. She followed Uzuki into the pineapple /house/, which was completely open for them to walk in, and furnished with a scuba diver helmet television, a couch, a coral phone, a bowl for Gary, and a Krabby Patty sitting on a plate.

"This is so cool!" Uzuki cheered, her voice echoing throughout the snow fort. She gently sat on the tightly-packed snow couch.

"Alright, Peter, I've decided," Uzuki began, "I want to live here now."

Peter smiled. "Yeah, it's pretty cool."

"Pretty cool? It's amazing! Come on, don't tell me you haven't dreamed of living in a pineapple home?"

Peter laughed. "Yeah, I guess . . ."

Ana suddenly turned and stared at Uzuki with a dark gaze.

"You . . . you made a statue of the real Tall Man, didn't you?" she said. "The Fairy Tree Man. The one who has no eyes. The Operator."

Uzuki stared back at Ana with the same deep glare in her eyes. "Well, well, looks like somebody actually knows what I'm dealing with."

Ana held out her arm and rolled up her sleeve. There, on her wrist, was a marking of a circle with an 'X' crossed through it drawn on her pale skin.

Uzuki pulled the zipper on her jacket down a little so that her right shoulder was free, and showed off the same mark that was also drawn on her skin.

"I've never personally met another one face-to-face before," Uzuki growled.

"Same here," Ana replied. "How long has it been for you?"

"One year, seven months, sixteen weeks, five days, two hours, seventeen minutes, and fifteen seconds," Uzuki answered.

"Well, well, you're quite the observant one," Ana snickered.

"I have my ways," Uzuki replied.

Ana rolled her sleeve back down, covering over the cursed marking. Uzuki did the same with her jacket, pulling it back over her shoulder.

"Where are you residing now?" Ana asked.

"Kakariko. I've been living in the same /house/ the entire time," Uzuki replied boldly.

Ana's mouth dropped open. "The _entire_ time? How is that even . . . He hasn't killed you yet?"

"What He feels about me is probably extremely personal," Uzuki sighed. "He really likes to play with me. I think we've finally established our . . . _boundaries_."

Ana shook her head. "That's impossible, He doesn't treat humans that way . . ."

Uzuki smirked deviously. "Maybe I'm just not human."

Ana stared at her. "Jokes aside, He must be planning something."

"You know, He's not _that _smart. I'm sure He's just playing around. He finds it funny to torment a schizophrenic, alcoholic, overworking _whore_."

Peter stepped forward and gripped Uzuki's hand, squeezing it tightly.

"You're even in a relationship while you're on the run . . . that's bold," Ana laughed. "He . . . He killed my family, and all of my friends." Her voice began to tremble.

"That must have been your fault, then," Uzuki growled. "I knew the signs of His following me the moment they began to arise, and I acted quickly by moving away to another location. Although, I could care less if He killed my family – I don't like any of them anyway."

"Cutting off all ties with human relationships . . . you really are a demon," Ana sneered. "And yet you still have a boyfriend."

"Sucks to be alone int his world," Uzuki snickered back. "May as well have _someone _with me who decently understands my situation."

Ana smiled, but it was a disturbing kind of smile. "I'll be sure to give Him your regards when He finds me, then, Ms . . ."

"Uzuki," she finished for her. She gestured to Peter, "and Peter."

"Ah, yes . . . I believe I've heard of you around the runner community," Ana muttered. "The infamous Uzuki Kasahara, the one who doesn't die. You're one of the longest-living runners out there. I'm curious as to how you do it."

Uzuki shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, like I said earlier, He doesn't really want to seem to kill me. I don't know if it's something personal with Him or He just finds me a bit funnier to deal with . . ."

"If He's not dealing with you now, He's going to do it someday," Ana warned. "And it's going to be gruesome. I suggest you watch your back."

Uzuki nodded. "Same goes for you."

Ana turned away and walked out of the pineapple /house/.

"That was weird," Peter growled.

"Runners," Uzuki sighed, shaking her head. "They're all the same; including me."

"If you were the same He would have killed you by now," Peter growled angrily.

Uzuki gently kissed him, and then pulled away with a determined smile.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, He won't get me. I'm not leaving your side now."

* * *

"Oh. My. God."

Peter snapped his gaze over to meet Uzuki's. "What? What is it?"

Uzuki lifted a shaking hand, pointing to the south end of the large building.

"T-They have . . . Pokemon Puzzle League . . ."

Peter sighed. "That's all? I thought something was wrong, Uzuki. Don't scare me like that."

"Hey, this is serious shiz!" Uzuki yelled. "I can't believe they have Pokemon Puzzle League as a tournament to take part in! Come on, I'm signing up!"

Before Peter could object, Uzuki was running over to where the game was set up. She quickly scrawled her name down on the list and then began observing her competition.

_Oh my god, they're so slow,_ Uzuki thought. _This is going to be way too easy_.

Uzuki waited anxiously for about ten minutes, when finally it was her turn at it. She snatched up the remote and quickly selected her Pokemon.

"I hope you know I'm the best player around," Uzuki taunted the kid she was playing against. He looked to be about six years old. "You'd better be prepared to lose."

"Bring it, old lady," the kid sneered.

Uzuki smirked, and when the round started, her thumbs took off with the control pad and buttons, switching the blocks in a blur up and across her playing field. The round lasted for about forty-five seconds before her opponent's blocks hit the top of the screen and he lost.

The little kid stared at her, his lower lip quivering. Uzuki bent down and leaned in close to him.

"Don't mess with this old lady," she whispered.

The little boy burst into tears and ran off to probably find his parents.

"Alright, let me at her," a voice said from behind Uzuki. Another boy came up who looked like he was about twelve years old.

_What is it with this mouthy little kids? _Uzuki thought with a sigh.

"I've been playing this game for _three years_," the kid sneered. "My dad gave me his old N64 and this game was with it. I practice day in and day -"

"Kid, are you gonna shut that prepubescent mouth of yours, or are you going to _try _to play?"

The boy glared at her and then proceeded to pick up his controller.

_Three years, you little shit_, she thought angrily yet with determination as she picked up her own controller and chose her character. _I've got fifteen years on your sorry little ass._

The game started, and Uzuki was off like a bullet. As she was setting up a chain move, she felt someone tap her shoulder.

"Can't look right now!" Uzuki snapped while keeping her eyes trained on the screen. "Trying to concentrate!"

She continued to move the blocks back and forth, and then finally, she matched a pair, and moved around so quickly to continue the chain until there weren't enough blocks left on her side to continue it. It didn't matter though; her opponent's screen was already barricaded with defense blocks that were formed when she made so many pairs.

_Three, two, one . . . _

The blocks on her opponent's screen, with the defense blocks at the top, hit the top of his side, and the game was over.

_Forty seconds . . . _Uzuki thought. _Not bad, I guess._

She stared at the boy with a smug grin on her face. "Someone else's turn now." She stepped back and let the next kid for the tournament take her place.

It was then that she remembered that someone had tapped her shoulder. She turned around to see a blond-haired man standing there.

"Oh, hi there," she said to him. She didn't know who he was at all. "Uh . . . have we met before?"

Before the man could reply, Peter turned around to face the man and cut in.  
"Oh, it's you," he muttered before putting a hand on Uzuki's shoulder. "Uzuki, this is Sheik – he's one of Link's friends. He helped me and Link find you that night after the winter dance."

"Ah, right," Uzuki replied. "You were in that TF2 game with us the other night. You make a pretty bitching soldier, you know that?"

"Well, I had no choice," Sheik sighed. "_Somebody _ran in without us."

"Hey, I was warming up some chicken!" Uzuki shouted. "Excuse me for being hungry!"

The blond-haired man named Sheik laughed. Then he changed the subject. "You know, you're pretty quick at that game."

"What, Pokemon Puzzle League?" Uzuki asked. When she looked back at the game, another round between two kids was taking place. "Yeah, it's pretty fun. I've been playing it since I was three."

"That explains how you're so quick at it."

"Well, the whole point is to match up colors," Uzuki explained. "If you can match up three, then you get a match. If you match up more than three – say, four – then you'll make a combo. And if you can keep the blocks matching up when they fall, then you get a chain. I'm an expert at chains."

"Clearly," Sheik said with a chuckle. "Those kids didn't know what hit them."

"Half of them haven't even played the game before," Uzuki sighed. "After all, most of them weren't even born yet when the game came out. I've got this tournament in the bag."

Without warning, Peter pulled Uzuki in close, an arm around her waist.

_Ick_.

"I wouldn't say that just yet, sweetie. Someone could come in and catch you off guard."

Uzuki reached up and pinched his cheek. "Well, then, maybe I'll finally get a challenge!"

Peter swatted Uzuki's hand away from his face. "Mmmhmm, sure. I still say that Gyromancer is better."

"Gyromancer is a piece of shit!" Uzuki yelled out. "It's not worth any of the cash in your duct tape wallet!"

"Uzuki, it's not _that _bad," Peter chuckled. "Besides, you just don't like it because you're not _good _at it."

"Nooooo," Uzuki objected. "I don't like it because it's confusing as hell. I mean, you can't just switch the blocks left-to-right like in Bejeweled – which is also a shitty game – and Pokemon Puzzle League; they gotta be all confusing about it by making you switch all four blocks at once in a clockwise motion. Whoever came up with that idea deserves a kick in the nutsack."

"Pokemon Puzzle League is the silly game," Peter continued to argue.

"Nope. You don't like it because I always beat you at it."

"Well, excuse me for playing against someone who's been playing the game for over ten years!"

Before they could both argue any further, Sheik stepped in.

"Come on, you two, can't we just say that both games are good and move on?

"No!" Uzuki yelled. She pushed through Sheik to get to Peter. "If you really knew me, you'd know that I don't give up an argument, _especially _when I'm right!"

"Guys-"

"Pokemon Puzzle League. Sucks. Balls," Peter replied.

"Shut up!"

"And you call yourself a real video gamer. Meh."

_I hate humans_. At that thought, Uzuki slapped Peter hard across the face. _He should be lucky that's all it is. May as well keep humoring him, though. _

"I'm a better gamer than you'll ever be! What kind of gamer plays Gyromancer and thinks it's good?!"

"Guys, please, stop arguing," Sheik stepped in again. "Seriously. I haven't played either one of those games, but I doubt the creators even give a shit on your opinions – Pokemon Puzzle League is definitely over ten years old and I think Peter is the only one in all of Hyrule Castle Town who plays Gyromancer, so it really shouldn't make a difference."

"Whatever," Uzuki hissed. She was going to quickly think of some snappy comeback when she felt a massive chill crawl through her body, causing her to convulse slightly.

"Oh god, not here . . ." Uzuki whispered aloud. She quickly scanned the building; there He was, standing in the crowd, with a faceless grin pointed right at her.

"Peter, I'm leaving. He's here again."

"But wait, what about the tournament?" Peter stopped her.

"I know, I know . . ." Uzuki sighed, "but it's not like there was much of a reward. Besides, I'm sick of making these kids cry. I've got to get the hell out of here."

"Huh?" the blond-haired man said with a raise of his eyebrow. "What's the big rush all of a sudden?"

Peter grabbed Uzuki's hand and squeezed it. "It's nothing," he said to Sheik. "It's just . . . no, it's fine. We're just late for something. We have to go."

_You're acting as if it's your damn problem, _Uzuki thought.

But she pulled him out of the building anyway, taking a longer path away from Him so she wouldn't end up fainting right there. Then they left through the back doors.

When they were out of the building, Uzuki looked back to see Him standing by the back doors, watching them leave and disappear into the crowd.  
_I hope you're happy. I was about to win that tournament, too._

* * *

Uzuki and Peter walked around the festival grounds a bit more, until she saw a familiar face sitting on a bench with a red-haired woman.

"Uzuki, I'm going to go use the bathroom," Peter said. "Will you be alright on your own?"

"Just fine," Uzuki muttered, keeping her eyes on the couple.

"Okay, I'll be back in a minute," he replied, and then left for one of the buildings that had open bathrooms.

_Please, it takes you at least twenty minutes to use the bathroom, _Uzuki thought with a mental snicker. When he was gone, she checked to make sure the coast was clear, and walked over to see if it was really the same guy that she was thinking of.

When she made it over, it sounded like he was talking about wanting to learn how to play the flute.

_Huh. Didn't think he was the kind of guy for that. _

She snuck up on them and then leaned on the back of the bench, unseen.

"Flute's not that hard," she said. She held back a chuckle as Ganon jumped from the sudden surprise. He looked up at Uzuki, surprise still inlaid in his face.

"How long have you been there?!" he exclaimed.

"Well, I was walking around for a bit," Uzuki started with a sigh, "and then I went to buy some cosplay stuff, then I stared at the wall a little, and then I ended up here." _I may as well just have been staring at a wall; those kids sucked at Pokemon Puzzle League. _"Sooooo, you want to learn how to play the flute? I didn't think that would be your initial choice."

"W-Well, I just think it's a pretty-sounding instrument, that's all . . ." Ganondorf muttered, his face slightly pink from embarrassment.

"Pretty is right, but don't learn how to control those high notes and you may as well kiss your eardrums goodbye," Uzuki snickered. She grabbed the top of the bench with her arm and used it to launch herself up over the bench, plopping herself down next to Ganondorf.

"Are you here on your own?" he asked her after she sat down.

"Nah, I came with Peter. I think he went to the bathroom or something. He's gonna be in there for the next fifteen minutes _minimum _so I decided I wasn't going to wait on him."

Uzuki wasn't going to forget about what appeared to be his girlfriend though, so she leaned forward and waved at the red-haired woman. "You must be Ganondorf's girl." She offered her hand out to the woman to shake. "I'm a drinking buddy of Ganon's. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Uzuki."

"Um . . . Nabooru," the woman said, shaking Uzuki's hand.

When Uzuki took her hand back, she continued to focus on Ganondorf. "I could teach you all you need to know about the flute," she offered. "I've been playing it since seventh grade. I was in my school band back when I attended."  
"Did I say I wanted to learn it?" Ganondorf suddenly yelled; but no reaction from Uzuki. "I said it would be a pretty instrument to play. I don't necessarily want to learn how to play it."

"What, you think it's some kind of _girly _instrument?" Uzuki growled. "The flute is just as challenging as any other instrument – just because it has a bit of a feminine sound doesn't make it a girly instrument. If you really want to learn it, then just go for it. But don't make me waste _my _time."

"Not like I was asking you either," he mumbled in response. "You just jumped in assuming I wanted you to teach me."

Uzuki stretched her legs out ahead of her, her feet sticking out into the crowd. Then she let out a heavy sigh. "Well, that's your choice, I guess. I really can't stop you from doing what you want to do."

It looked like he was about to say something, but Peter showed up before he could reply.

"There you are," Peter said, his voice filled with relief. "I've been looking all over for you. I was afraid you were ta-"

Peter stopped, and stared at Ganondorf. "Oh. Hi there. You're that guy from a while back, right?"

_Nothing wrong with having a drinking buddy, Peter, _Uzuki thought angrily.

After Ganon nodded in reply, Peter sighed and said, "Well . . . thanks for keeping an eye on her."

_Oh for god's sakes . . . _"Hey, calm your tits," Uzuki snapped at Peter. "I can handle myself, thank you."

"You know what I was worried about, Uzuki," Peter growled back. "You can't take all of this so lightly! What if you had been . . ." He stopped for a moment.

_Watch. Your words. Carefully. _

". . . hurt?"

_Good._

"Do I _look _hurt to you? Besides, I'm already in the midst of being scissored apart like an apple. Nothing you do will make it any less physically and mentally painful." Merely mentioning it made the scars on her belly tingle. But maybe she said too much; Ganon was already giving her strange looks.

"I'm sorry, but what are we talking about?" he asked.

"Nothing you have to concern yourself with," Uzuki sighed. "I'm fine." Then she glared at Peter with her cold eyes. "Quit the worrying all the time, yeah?"

Peter turned away, scowling. ". . . Fine."

"Thank you." Uzuki turned back to Ganondorf and his girlfriend. "Say, do you two want to go grab a bite to eat? I'm going to be heading over to that video game tournament in a bit, but if you guys want to go somewhere, we can go. My treat." _Okay, so I've already been there, but they don't know that. Besides, it would be nice to go back and set those loudmouth brats straight. _

"Uh . . . no, that's fine, but thanks,"

"Nonsense," Uzuki laughed, "I'm not going to take no for an answer!" She grabbed Ganondorf's arm. "I'm sure Nabooru would love to be treated to some food, too. I'll buy you two a third wheel lunch, okay?"

"Well . . . if it's alright with you . . ."

"Peachy-fine!" Uzuki giggled as she attempted to pull Ganondorf off the bench by his arm. "Come onnnn."

"Alright, I'm coming."

* * *

_I'm running out of funny stories to tell. I, Uzuki Kasahara, am running out of stories. What. The. Fuck. _

Uzuki had been telling stories for the past half hour while watching Ganondorf and Nabooru share french fries. Peter was eating pizza and mozza sticks. Uzuki wasn't much of an eater so she hadn't bought anything, but sometimes she would reach over and grab a mozza stick from Peter or a french fry from Ganondorf.

"I'm sorry, but . . . I really didn't understand _anything _you just said," Ganondorf replied after she finished telling him a forum story.

"I know," Uzuki said with a fake grin. "I just had to get it off my chest."

"You're the only person I know who gets that bothered by the roleplaying community," Peter sighed.

"Hey, Peter, guess what?"

"What?" Peter replied.

"Fuck you." She flicked a french fry towards his face, and then continued, "I'm not the only one you want to mess with when ti comes to RP's. Hell, I'm one of the _nicer _ones."

"Mmhmm," Peter muttered. Then he continued to eat his pizza.

There were a few moments of silence as they ate their food, before Peter said, "We should head out soon. It's getting pretty dark."

"The dark doesn't make any difference to me, sweetheart," Uzuki snickered.

"I'm serious, Uzuki."

"Fine, fine," Uzuki sighed. "I was getting bored anyway." She then got up from the table and threw out Peter's styrofoam plate.

"It was nice getting to see you," Uzuki said to Ganondorf.

"Yeah . . . you too," he replied.

"And it was nice getting to meet you," Uzuki said to Nabooru. "You and Ganondorf work well together."

"Oh . . . thank you," Nabooru said with a smile.

Uzuki smiled as well, but it was cut brief by a sharp pain in her lungs, causing her to choke and then cough a little. "Ugh . . . Alright, I gotta go home, take my medication. Gonna be a long night."

"You're not staying for the fireworks?" Ganondorf asked.

"Nah, they never were a big deal for me," Uzuki sighed, letting out another cough. "See you guys later. Have fun."

* * *

With a shaking hand, Uzuki popped the cap off the plastic bottle in her hand and dumped out two white pills. She brought them up to her mouth and swallowed them down quickly. She let out a sigh afterwards, and leaned against the brick wall of the building behind her, staring up at the fireworks that were bursting in the sky, far away from her.

"Shit . . ." Uzuki sighed, her breath turning to white as it hit the cold air around her. "I've gotta get this thing off my back . . ."

"You're not alright, Uzuki," Peter said as he watched her put her pills away. "You need to get out of that /house/-"

"I can't leave the fucking /house/, Peter," Uzuki snapped. "I can't. What good would that do? Where would I go? If I go anywhere, He's just going to follow me. And if He follows me, I'll end up dragging others into the mess. And the last thing I need right now is for other people to know about Him – it will just make more victims."

"But what about you, Uzuki?" Peter asked, pulling Uzuki in close. "Why don't you get to be happy?"

"I'm not supposed to be happy," Uzuki muttered. "That's a silly emotion for humans."

"You're still human, Uzuki," Peter obected.

Uzuki smirked, and looked down at her small, cold hands. "Not for long."


	43. New Year's Eve

**Hey guys! **

**I was _really _hoping I would have had this updated around New Year's Eve - that was the plan, originally - but somehow writer's block reared its ugly head, and then I got busy with exams and everything kind of just blew up in my face ._." **

**Anyway, hopefully this chapter is worth the wait, especially considering we're finally out of that P.O.V. loop that . . . went on a lot longer than I was planning it to x3 Please R&R, and I hope you all enjoy ~ **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 43: New Year's Eve**

Link brought over a cup of hot chocolate to where Zelda was sitting on a bench in the centre of town. The fireworks display was beginning, and they had front row seats near the lake where they would be launched. The air around them was brisk with a winter's chill, and everyone was wearing layers of jackets, mittens, and scarves to keep themselves warm.

"Thanks," Zelda said as Link handed her the warm drink. She blew on it a bit to cool it down and then took a long sip from the paper cup. The warm flavor of the hot chocolate warmed her up quickly.

Link sat down next to her and began to drink his own hot chocolate as well. He could see the steam of the hot chocolate mixing with the visible air of his breath in the cold air.

As they sat there, Mido and Saria soon appeared, both of them with hot chocolate in their hands as well.

"Hey, you two," Link greeted them both as they sat down on the bench with them. "Enjoying yourselves?"

"Yeah, we had a great time," Saria said with a warm smile. "And the evening isn't even close to being over either. I can't wait for the fireworks."

"Were you at the snow sculpture contest?" Mido asked Link curiously. "I didn't see you there."

"Nah, I didn't make it to much of the festival," Link grumbled. "Family gathering."

"Ick. Shade?"

"Um . . . yeah," Link lied. He knew that his family gathering had been the day before. And that Shade was actually _in _said competition. What had really happened? Oni had kept him tied down most of the day to go _ice fishing_. But even Mido didn't know about Oni's existence; and he wanted to keep it that way too.

"Hmm . . . but Shade was in the competition," Mido said.

"Uh . . . the family gathering was earlier in the day," Link said, trying to drag out his lie as best he could. "And Shade left early for the competition. I had some stuff I had to do with Blake for his New Year's Eve party."

"Not going to attend the party?" Mido asked.

"Y-Yeah, I will later," Link said. That much was true – Blake really _was _having a party, but it wasn't until ten o'clock that evening and it would last through the whole night. "The party isn't until later anyway. I'm just going to stay for the fireworks and then I'll probably drive back to Blake's for his party."

Before Mido could press the lie any further, Link turned to Zelda and asked, "Do you want to come to the party? If it's alright with your parents, that is."

"Oh please, my folks don't need to know," she sneered. "My mother would be fine with it, but my step-dad? I don't even care. I'll just get mom to tell him I was hanging out with you guys all night at the festival."

"Alright . . ." Link sighed.

"Actually, if you don't mind, I might stop in on that," Mido said. "Saria, are you up for it?"

"I'd have to text my mother and let her know," Saria replied. "But I think it would be alright, as long as I have a way back home. And if it was alright with your uncle too, of course," she said to Link.

Link shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, I don't think he'd mind."

Zelda stared over at the boats on the water. "Looks like they're starting." She huddled close to Link as the fireworks began to shoot off into the sky, exploding into a bouquet of colors and sparks. They sizzled in the air for a few moments and then another booming sound erupted, as more fireworks launched into the air and burst into a flurry of more colors.

Zelda snuggled in close to Link. "I love you," she whispered.

Link kissed her head. "I love you too, Zel."

The two of them watched the fireworks in awe of the colors and sounds, when a familiar face strolled over to them. It was Shade, and he was there with Ren.

"Yo, Link," he greeted his brother. "You up for that party tonight?"

"Mmhmm," Link muttered. It always made him so uncomfortable to see two of the most annoying people in his life together, on a _date_. It was like putting two nuclear bombs together to make one big super weapon. And that was just Shade and Ren – put Ganon into that equation and it would become so much worse.

"Have you heard anything yet from Oni?"

Link froze. He had worked so hard to keep anyone else from knowing about his third brother and Shade was about to ruin all that in two seconds.

"Oh, you mean _our cousin, Oni,_" Link said through grit teeth, trying to make it obvious to Shade that he was clearly sending a message.

"Um . . . no, I mean our br-"

"_Cousin_," Link said more clear this time, all while giving Shade a dirty look. "I didn't hear from our _cousin _what his plans were. Hopefully our _cousin _Oni can make it out this evening."

Shade sighed. "Alright, don't know what you've been smoking, but yes – our cousin, Oni."

"Probably be too busy studying to have some decent fun," Link scoffed.

"Come on, he's a university student – he's gotta know how to at least have _some _fun. Give your bro – cousin some credit."

Link didn't reply, and instead turned his focus back to the fireworks show in the sky, pushing all thoughts of his "cousin" from his mind.

* * *

When Link, Zelda, Mido, Saria, Shade, and Ren pulled up to Blake's house, there were several cars there already, and they were forced to park across the street. They got out of their cars, closing and then locking the doors behind them, and started across the street and up Blake's short driveway, moving past the cars that were already nestled in front of the garage.

"Are you sure your uncle doesn't mind us dropping in?" Saria asked worriedly.

"Of course not, he'd be totally cool with it," Shade replied. "Besides, you wouldn't want to miss Blake's parties for the world."

Link led the group up to the door, and then opened it, stepping inside from the night. There were a few people nestled in the hallway, drinking wine and eating crackers and cheese.

"Oh my gosh, it's Link!" a random woman exclaimed, running up to Link to give him a sudden hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I remember you when you were only this high!" She held her hand down to her waist to show. "My, how you've grown!"

"Uh . . . thanks?" Link muttered.

"You'd better let your uncle know you're here, hon," she snickered. "He's been waiting for ya." She blew Link a kiss and then went to join her circle of friends, all female, all drinking the same brand of wine and nibbling on their cheese and crackers.

"That was . . . weird," Zelda muttered. "She just flirted with you but she's, like . . . forty."

"And so we meet Blake's friends," Link sighed. "Even I don't know who that was. And she probably won't remember who I am by the end of the night at the rate she's downing that alcohol."

Link stepped further from the door. "Come on in, guys. Don't be strangers – it's not like the people here aren't."

"I think I see Blake over there," Zelda pointed out towards the kitchen. Link looked over and aw him as well, so they walked over to greet him, trying not to bump into anyone else.

Mido and Saria, however, cut off from them and went to the living room where there was a chair free to sit. Mido sat on the chair and Saria sat on his knee. There was a plate with crackers, cheese, grapes, and other finger foods spread on, and people were helping themselves as they drank their wine and chardonnay.

"The atmosphere sure is classy here," Mido said. "I never really saw Link's uncle as being 'classy'."

"Far from it, friend," Shade snickered as he walked over to Mido and Saria. "Blake is probably one of the un-classiest son of a bitches you'll ever meet. You gotta make sure you meet him before you leave."

"Uh . . . I'll be sure to," Mido said with a slight smile.

Meanwhile, Link and Zelda had met up with Blake, who was having a conversation with another man who looked to be his age, and had just as rowdy a personality.

"Listen here, Blake, you gotta find yourself a real smooth woman," the man said. His voice was clearly filled with nothing but beer and shots of whiskey. Link and Zelda could smell it coming off his breath. "Some gal who isn't afraid to get wild and creative in bed, you know what I'm sayin'? The creative ones, now _they're _the most fun." He snickered and took another heavy sip from his beer can. "Never know what they'll come up with next. This one girl I met, she had the nicest set of –"

"Shush up there, Marcus, you're scaring the kiddies," Blake laughed. "Go find yourself a hot one or something. I'm visiting with my nephew and his girlfriend here."

Marcus looks over at Link and Zelda. "You've got a nice brunette there, kiddo," he says. "Blondes are fun when you tell em' what to do but brunettes are the ones that take the initiative, you know? Heh heh, enjoy yourselves, kids." Then he turns and walks away, still drinking from his beer.

"Ignore him," Blake laughed. "It's the beer talking – he's usually a bit more restrained than that."

"No worries," Link laughed. "He seems like a fun guy to have around at a party."  
"Well, you usually won't find him in any other state but drunk, so you may as well get used to it," Blake sighed. Blake leaned against the counter, his drink still in his hand. He took a sip from it before continuing, "So how are you kids doing? Enjoying yourselves tonight?"

"Yeah. The festival was pretty fun."

"Your friends enjoy themselves too?"

"We met up with a few friends, yeah. Mido and Saria, Sheik and Malon, Ruto and Mikau . . ."

"Shade and Ren seem to make a pretty good pair," Blake said with a smile.

". . . Meh," I mumble. "At least I'm finally rid of her."

"Hey, you two got along pretty well when you were together," Blake objected. "You two always looked like you were having the time of your lives."

"I guess; until I realized that she was a psychomaniac who was using me. A lot. She and Shade are both equally psychotic, so they make a much better couple." He smiled at Zelda. "And I'm sure, if I hadn't left Ren, I wouldn't be with Zelda now. And I'm thankful for it."

Zelda's face turned pink with flattery, and Blake simply smiled.

"Well, glad to hear that you two are doing good," he said. "Hope you two enjoy the party."

"Thanks for having me over," Zelda said, smiling happily. She and Link turned to head to another room.

"Don't forget your protection, kids!" Blake called after them.

"At least there's a reason for me to have it!" Link yelled back.

"Ouch," Blake snickered to himself. "Now that one hurt."

* * *

Link guided Zelda through the crowded house until they were finally at the back door, and he took her outside into the brisk winter air.

"It's a lot quieter out here," Zelda said. She and Link sat down on the bench-swing that was set up on the lawn in the backyard. Link cleared away some of the snow from underneath it so that it could swing, and he set his extra jacket along the seat so they could sit down without getting soaked from the water on it.

When they sat down, Zelda snuggled up close to Link, trying to share the warmth between them.

"It really is a nice night . . ." Zelda said with a yawn. "I love being able to just sit back and relax with you . . ."

"Me too, Zel . . ." Link replied in a whisper. He checked his watch. Eleven fifty-five. Five minutes until midnight.

"The year went by too fast," Link sighed. "Time really does go by faster as you get older."

"All the more reason to grab onto it now while you still have it," Zelda said with a warm smile, snuggling into him more.

"Yeah," Link replied. "Life couldn't be better." He pulled her in close and kissed her forehead. "I have you. I thought life was great before but . . . now it's even better."

Zelda smiled at him. "And it's only going to_ get _better. I'm always yours, Link."

Link felt his heart warm at the sound of those words. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, Zel. You're perfect."

Zelda turned her gaze away. "Not perfect. But as long as I have you, it doesn't matter what I am. I really do love you, Link."

"I love you too, Zel." He checked his watch. Eleven fifty-nine. He could already hear Blake's party guests cheering inside, counting down the seconds until midnight. Five. Four. Three.

Two.

"Zel?"

One.

Zelda looked up at him. "Yes?"

Just as the clock struck midnight, he leaned down and gently placed his lips on hers. It was just a light, simple kiss, but when he pulled away, Zelda looked mesmerized.

"You're just . . . full of surprises, aren't you?" she whispered with a slight giggle to her voice.

"Well, I try to keep things creative, at least," Link chuckled in reply.

Zelda leaned in to kiss him again, but her action was cut short by the sound of shattering glass from inside the house.

"Sounds like they broke something . . ." Link snickered.

"Come on, let's head inside," Zelda said, leaning forward to kiss him sweetly on the lips before getting to her feet and starting towards the house. Link followed her, until they were back inside the dry, oil-heated home, where people were still drinking their chardonnay and enjoying the atmosphere.

After stepping inside more, Link could clearly see what they had heard from outside. Marcus was standing in the living room with a shattered bottle in his hand, the other half of the bottle scattered all along the floor in tiny shards.

"Whoa, what happened?" Link asked one of Blake's guests, a woman with long black hair and a foreign appearance.

"Ah, that guy – what's his name, Marvin? – went and decided to celebrate the new year by smashing a champagne bottle off Blake's living room wall."

"Yeesh. That's going to leave a mark," Link cringed. "At least no one was hurt?"

"I think everyone is fine," the woman replied with a small, warm smile.

"Good." Link watched as Blake grabbed Marcus by the collar of his shirt and dragged him into another room.

"Blake may be easygoing, but he still knows how to put his foot down," Link chuckled to Zelda. "I doubt we'll be seeing Marcus for the rest of the night." He took Zelda to the living room area, avoiding where there would be glass, and they sat down on the couch where Mido and Saria were also seated.

"Enjoying yourselves?" Link asked the couple.

"Yeah, we're having a great time!" Saria giggled. "That drunk guy sure is weird."

"Good ole' Marcus," Link snickered. "I'm sure Blake will set him straight. He'll probably pass out from all that booze soon too."

Before Mido could reply, Shade showed up with a sly smile on his face.

"Hey, little bro, Ren and I are . . . well, we're just going to go have sex for a few hours, so have fun down here with the adults, yeah? Someone's gotta keep an eye on ya', after all."

Link wasn't amused, but he wasn't surprised of the thought of Shade and Ren locking themselves in a room upstairs and having sex. Shade was just lucky it was his home to begin with. The thought of random people having sex in their house during new years kind of gave him the creeps.

"Fine, but keep the noise down, yeah?" Link sighed.

"No promises," Shade snickered as he turned around and left with Ren, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Link could see Shade's hand creeping slowly towards her butt.

_Wish he didn't have to be so vulgar about it,_ Link thought angrily as he watched them walk out of the living room and up the stairway to the second floor.

"He sure is open about it," Zelda muttered.

"He's probably just had a bit too much to drink," Link sighed.

"Hrm . . ."

Link could tell that Zelda felt a bit uncomfortable from all that. Whether it was the fact that Shade and Ren were _that _open about it – alcohol or not – or if it had something to do with that moment he and Zelda had shared just a few days ago, he could tell that Shade's words seemed to make her feel . . . uneasy.

"You okay?" Link asked.

"Y . . . Yes, I'm fine," Zelda sighed. "Sorry. Just a little tired. Today was a long day."

Link smiled. "Don't worry about Shade, okay? He just has too much testosterone and nothing productive to do with it."

Zelda giggled. "Okay."

Link leaned in and kissed her forehead. He smiled, and then continued their conversation with Mido and Saria, talking about school and what would come after they went back, like exams.

"I've already started studying," Zelda sighed.

"Little early, don't you think?" Link asked. "After all, the exams aren't until the end of the month and we'll still be learning some of the material between now and then."

"Well, I can at least study some of the stuff that we've already covered," Zelda said, moving her bangs to the other side of her face. Suddenly she seemed a little anxious, but Link figured as much, considering they were talking about exams. Lots of people got stressed out whenever exam time rolled around – it was perfectly normal. Link coped by reminding himself that exams were all they were – two hour tests – and that helped him get through it without too much stress.

"I usually don't start studying a week before the exams," Link muttered. "If I study at all. I really only study for courses that I'm really . . . edgy with. Biology was all notes and stuff, so I think Math will be the only thing I'll look over."

"Same here," Mido said. "Only two exams for me, thanks to that free block."

"Ugh, you lucky asshole," Link grumbled. "But you realize you can't take a free block in grade twelve now, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Mido sighed. "I realized that after it was too late to switch out. Next year's gonna suck."

"Talking about classes, I see?" a familar voice asked. The owner of the voice approached them – Oni.

"Uh . . . hi there, cuz!" Link stammered. "Y-Yeah, just talking about exams and stuff!"

"Um . . . what? Little bro, what are you talking about?"

"Y-Yeah, this is Oni, guys!" Link said nervously. "He's my cousin, but we're so close we may as well just be brothers! Funny, huh?"

"Link, are you going through some kind of um . . . _phase_?" Oni asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because if you are, I still have that bottle of prescription pills from when you were younger . . ."

"Oni!" Link hissed. He got to his feet and grabbed his brother by his sleeve, guiding him out of the living room and into the bathroom.

"What's up with you, little bro?" Oni grumbled as Link shut the bathroom door behind them and locking it. "Are you embarrassed by me or something? Or wait, I'm not your brother, I'm your _cousin_, apparently."

"Look, I just don't like getting my friends wrapped up in my family history," Link muttered. "I guess I just don't like people knowing I have brothers, okay? It's just . . . I dunno, weird. Just don't hang around me like my big bro for the rest of the night, okay?"

"Alright, alright, fine," Oni sighed. "I swear to God, you teens just keep getting dumber and dumber."

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, I tried to hide Shade too, so it's not like it's just you," Link replied. "Just didn't work out all that well." _It certainly doesn't help that he's going to my school, _he thought.

"Mmhmm," Oni mumbled. "I'm going to get some more studying done. Might have myself a quick shot of vodka or something to loosen myself up."

"Study, study, study, that's all you do . . ." Link groaned before turning around and opening the bathroom door to leave.

"Oh, yeah, and . . ." Upon mentioning Shade's name, he remembered what Shade was probably doing by now. ". . . Just, stay out of the other bedrooms, yeah? Shade and Ren are getting . . . active."

Oni rolled his eyes. "Wish he could keep that dick in his pants. Sure thing, although, knowing Shade, he's probably doing it in _your _room."

Link cringed. "Please, don't tell me that kind of stuff."

* * *

Shade flopped back into his pillow, breathing heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Ren was in the same state, catching her breath and letting her body relax into the pillows and sheets.

"Sure wasn't expecting that . . ." Ren breathed with a smile. "You sure know how to handle yourself."

"I could say the same about you," Shade chuckled as he sat up and reached for the beer can sitting on the dresser.

"Ugh, I don't know how you can drink that stuff," Ren spat. "I'm more of a fan of wine and coolers."

"Well, you _are _a girl."

"I don't really see how that has anything to do with it . . ."

"Well, wine and coolers are like, the ultimate girly alcoholic drink."

"So you're going to separate alcoholic drinks by gender now?"

"Meh, it certainly is something to think about," Shade snickered as he took a sip from his beer.

"I have better things to do than ponder the gender equalities of alcoholic drinks," Ren teased him.

"Ah well. Still tastes damn delicious."


	44. New Semester, Start!

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love **

**Chapter 44: Second Semester, Start!**

_Back to the daily grind, _Link thought as he stuffed his binders into his bag and zippered it close. He buttoned up his winter jacket, its fur hood snug along the back of his neck. He checked the room to make sure everything was turned off, and then left the room, locking the door behind him. Sheik had already left earlier to meet Malon for coffee before class, so that left Link to make the trek alone along the icy walkway that led from the boys' dorm building to the school.

When he stepped outside, the air was brisk and nipped at his bare face. It was tolerable though, so he pressed on. A few other students from his dorm passed him by, all dressed in the same fashion with winter coats, boots, gloves, hats, and even earmuffs for some.

When Link made it to the school, he stepped inside to be over-swept b the instant warmth of the building's internal heating. He didn't take off has jacket until he was in the cafeteria, where most of his friends were already having a conversation at their usual table.

"Morning," Link greeted them as he sat down next to Kafei. "Pretty cold out there, huh?"

"Ugh, I can't _stand _it," Mikau hissed. "I'm a summer person, not a winter person."

"But you're a Zora!" Mido exclaimed. "Of course you hate the cold!"

Mikau rolled his eyes and continued to huddle himself up in the warmth of his jacket.

"Sheik not here yet?" Link asked. "He said he was going to get coffee with Malon. He'd better hurry; class is going to start in about ten minutes."

"Exams at the end of the month," Mido sighed. "Whooo . . ."

"Shush," Kafei groaned.

Link looked around. It didn't look like Zelda was at the school yet either; if she were, she would have been sitting with the girls at their own table, or would have at least joined the boys at theirs.

A few more minutes passed, and still no Zelda. Even with the distractions of the boys' conversations, her absence was still weighing heavily on Link's mind.

Zelda still never appeared after the morning bell went and the students started crowding the halls, making their way to their classes.

_I guess she's absent today_, Link thought sadly. _Weird. It's the first day of the new semester. Maybe she's sick . . . ?_

Link took his place at his desk in the Math classroom, where Mrs. Anju was already welcoming students back and preparing a recap of lessons from before their winter break. All the students took out their textbooks and binders and scribblers. Link followed suit, but it was hard for him to keep his mind off Zelda. It really shook him whenever Zelda wasn't at school – he hadn't realized it before, but she really gave him a much better reason to go to school.

After the second bell rang, Mrs. Anju started the lesson with review sheets for the students. Just as she was explaining, Zelda came rushing into the room, her hair frazzled and her eyes darkened with black rings underneath them.

"S-Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Anju!" Zelda gasped. "I slept in!"

"Ah, there you are," Mrs. Anju said with a slight hint of disappointment in her voice. "Well, seeing as you're usually a pretty good student when it comes to your attendance, I'll let this one slide, okay?"

"Thank you so much!" Zelda thanked her. She quickly hurried over to her desk in front of Link and sat down.

"Zel?" Link whispered as Anju gave her instructions at the front of the class. "You okay? Didn't get a good sleep last night?"

"N-No, I didn't get _any _sleep," she sighed as she pulled out her Math book and her binder. "I was up all night . . . studying for exams."

"Zel . . . those aren't until the end of the month," Link hissed. "We still have material to cover until then, too. You don't need to worry so much, okay?"

"Ah, sorry," Zelda whispered back. "Look, I'll be fine, okay? I just need to balance out my studying and my sleeping. It'll be easy."

"Well, I can't really stop you . . . just don't work yourself too hard, okay? You're smart, and an exam is just a two-hour test – nothing to stress out about."

"Don't worry, I'll be-"

"Link! Zelda! Eyes on your own papers!" Mrs. Anju cut in from where she was sitting at her desk, glaring right at them.

"Sorry," they both said, and turned their attention to the review sheets sitting on their desks in front of them. The class worked away for about a half hour before Mrs. Anju stopped them and began their lesson on a new unit from where they left off before the winter break.

While Mrs. Anju's back was turned, Link crept his hand forward, a folded-up note tucked between his fingers. He tapped Zelda's arm to get her attention. She looked down to the tapping and saw the note, and quickly took it and threw it into her desk just as Mrs. Anju turned around. While she was talking, Zelda put her hands into her desk and felt around for the note until her left palm finally rested on it. She grabbed it and opened it while keeping her eyes up front, and then when she had it open, she brought it closer to the opening of the desk and peered down to read it.

_Still in the guitar club?_

Zelda tucked the note up and took out her pencil and started to write a new note. She tucked the piece of paper into the desk and folded it up there so she wouldn't be seen, then when Mrs. Anju wasn't looking, she dropped it on the floor next to her chair and nudged it towards Link with her foot. When it was within his reach, Link bent down and picked it up and – using the same strategy as Zelda – read it from inside his desk.

_Sorry. I'll be studying. I'll join up with you guys again after exams. _

Link rolled his eyes and slumped back into his chair, his legs pushing forward as he did so. Then he kicked Zelda in the back of the knee. He could see her cringe, and she spun around to look at him with a pained and aggravated expression; she was clearly holding in any sort of painful noise from the kick.

_Really? _Link's expression said, his eyes drooped and his shoulders shrugged.

Without speaking audible words, Zelda mouthed, _Yes._ Then she turned back around, but before she started focusing on the lecture again, she took her foot and slammed it down onto Link's. The four-inch heel connected with his toe, and Link twitched. He waited for Mrs. Anju to turn around again before his expression went grim and he started to silently scream, biting down on his fingers to keep him from doing it for real. He could see a few of the other classmates around him staring and pointing, some even chuckling a little.

When class ended, Link carefully got up from his desk and threw his books into his bag, and tried to put some pressure on his toe. It hurt. A lot.

"You know, Zel, normally I wouldn't be that mad, but, you _do _know that a woman's heel is heavier than that of the weight of an elephant's foot, right?" Link groaned to her as they walked into the hall, limping along as best as he could.

"I know," Zelda said. "You should have thought of that before you decided to _kick _me."

"It wasn't even that hard!" Link growled.

"You're so immature, you know that?" Zelda snapped, and then without another word, walked away, her deadly heels clicking against the floor as she walked.

"Dang, a killer queen with a heart as cold as ice," Sheik snickered.

"I could do without the musical references, okay, Sheik?" Link grunted. "I'm in a lot of fucking pain right now."

"Never mess with a woman wearing heels," Sheik said.

"I didn't _know _she was wearing heels. I never bothered to notice."

"Well, make a note of it to check from now on, okay?"

"Yeah, ri –"

Before he could finish his sentence, Link let out a loud scream right in the middle of the hallway as a projector stand wheel rolled over his right toe – the same toe that Zelda had just crushed with her heel.

"Ganondorf," Link said through grit teeth, his eyes squinting and his hands curling into tight, blood-curdling fists. "Why are you rolling a projector table around?" He didn't move, he didn't even look at Ganon. He just stared at the wall across from him.

"What's it to you, jackass?" Ganon growled. "I'm moving it to the Physics classroom for Mr. Owlan. Now move out of the way before I run over your face, yeah?"

Ganon continued on with the table rolling right in front of him after Link moved his feet.

"You okay?" Sheik snickered as he stared at Link, who's expression was still pained and unmoving.

"Mmhmm,"

Link grunted, nodding his head. Then he continued walking down the hallway, limping a little more than before.

* * *

When lunch finally rolled around, the pain in Link's toe was starting to subside, but he still found it hard not to put pressure on it. He just found it lucky that it was his toe that was in pain, and not his ankle, or his leg. Gym was going to kill him though, and it was right after lunch. He just had to hope they were lifting weights today and not running laps.

When Link made it to the cafeteria, he sat down with his friends at their table, and Zelda was sitting at the second section of the table – where no one really sat anyway – with textbooks and neatly-written notes and other papers like handouts, assignments, and old tests scattered around her on the table.

"Whoa, what's all this?" Link asked her.

"What does it look like?" she snapped. "I'm _studying_. Piss off."

Link was taken aback by her attitude.

_S-She's probably just under some stress . . . I should try to cheer her up or something, _Link thought.

He slowly sat down next to her, being weary of his toe, and she glared at him with ice practically forming in her eyes.

"Could you give me some room here?" she growled. "Or can you not see that I have a lot of shit laying around? Let me work, just for today, Link, or I swear to God-"

"Okay, okay, I was just going to ask how you were doing, but I can clearly tell what the answer to that is," I mumble.

"What's that supposed to mean?" More cruel glaring.

"Nothing," Link sighed, and turned to leave her in peace and have a conversation with the guys. Everyone was crowding around and watching a video on Mido's smartphone.

"What are we watching?" Link said.

"Stupid Harlem Shake videos," Mido replied. "Have you seen this shit yet?"

"Oh yeah, I saw some clips of that recently," Link said. "Isn't it like, a new kind of video meme or something?"  
"Just the new wave of planking," Sheik sighed. He looked past Link, his gaze lingering there for a few minutes, and then he looked back at Link again.

"Isn't Zelda going to join us?" he whispered.

"She's, um . . . studying for exams," Link whispered back.

"Boys, I would appreciate if you didn't gossip about me being smarter than the rest of you just for studying a little earlier than most," Zelda growled at them.

Link didn't say anything. He just shrugged his shoulders at them.

"Maybe she's on her period . . ."

"I heard that!"

* * *

"Please, Coach, I'm _begging _you!"

Darunia stared back at Link, his whistle pushed over to one corner where they were held tightly between the sides of his lips, and his over-muscular arms folded up.

"You know, Kokiri, you're lucky I'm not my brother, otherwise I'd have you on the floor, on your hands and knees, kissing my feet and begging like a dog!" Daruna roared. "I don't care if your toe was crushed underneath a trainload of anvils – you're doing those laps, and that's that! You'll be thanking me in the future for this, too!"

"I swear, if you let me just skip out on this _one set of laps_-"

"Turn around, now!" Darunia yelled, and repositioned his whistle to the center of his mouth. "I want to see you _running_, Kokiri! Don't make me start chasing you!"

"But-"

"GO." Darunia blew on his whistle, and Link groaned and spun around to start running. Just as he lifted his right foot to start running, his toe crunched into the weight of a small hand-barbell set. Link held in a scream, but his top teeth clamped down on his bottom lip and he held his breath so hard that his veins started to pop from his forehead.

"Start running, Kokiri!" Darunia yelled from behind him; he obviously hadn't seen what had just happened. "And watch out for those barbell sets on the ground, yeah? Some of the powerlifters need to keep those out!"

Link turned his head slowly to meet Darunia's gaze. "You don't say?" he said, his voice high and tense, and his eye twitching with pain as he stared into Darunia's eyes with a crazed expression on his face. "Now, why didn't you tell me this _earlier?_"

"Are you giving me attitude, Kokiri? Move your ass, now!"

"I can't," Link replied calmly, the same twisted-up smile on his face. "I think I broke my toe on one of those barbells."

Darunia stared at him. Then he walked around to see Link holding his right foot barely an inch away from the barbell.

"You should have kept your shoes on, Kokiri," Darunia sighed.

It was true. Link was in his sock feet – he had taken off his school shoes so he could switch into his gym sneakers, but he hadn't even gotten the chance to put them on before Darunia started nailing on him to run laps.

When Darunia looked closely, he could see spots of blood forming against the white of Link's socks.

"Go on, get to the nurses' room. Can you get there on your own?"

Link nodded, and then started to limp for the door out of the gym.

"You're lucky I'm not my brother, Link! Darmani would have made you run even if you had a broken _leg_!"

* * *

"What a way to start the second semester," Link sighed.

Zelda prodded at the brace and bandages on Link's right toe with the eraser of her pencil. "I-It's not that bad . . . besides, you're lucky you just broke a toe."

"My _big _toe," Link groaned. "On my right foot. And I'll be wearing this for like, three weeks."

"Well, like I said, it could be worse," Zelda sighed, and got up to lay on the bed next to him.

"You seem a little less stressed now," Link said to her.

Zelda lay her head against the wall, and let out a long groan. "I'm so sorry for all of that. I just get really stressed whenever exams roll around and . . . I can turn into a real bitch whenever they do."

"Hey, it's alright," Link said, placing a comforting hand on her leg. "I don't blame you for getting stressed. But listen, at least wait until exams are a week or so away before you start studying, okay? If you study this early, you'll wear yourself out by the time exams start and then you'll be too burnt out to do a good job. And remember, I'm always here to give you a hand. And so are my friends, as well as the girls. And remember, it's just-"

"A two hour test," Zelda sighed, finishing the sentence for him. She nodded, and continued, "You're right. I shouldn't let them get to me. It's just like everything else I've been doing this semester."  
"Exactly," Link said, a smile growing on his face. "And you're smart – you'll do a good job no matter what. And failing classes? Definitely not an issue for you. So no worries."

Zelda turned onto her side to face him more, and then leaned forward and kissed him gently. "Thanks, Link. I feel like I'll be able to relax a bit more now." She smiled, and rested herself on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "Oh, yeah . . . and I'm sorry about stomping on your foot there."

"Ah, don't worry," Link groaned. "It was the barbell that did the most damage. But you know, accidents happen."

"Is it all purple?" Zelda giggled.

Link looked at her, and laughed, "it is _disgustingly _purple."

"Ewwww!" Zelda squirmed around in the bed. "That's disgusting!"

"Wanna see it?"

Zelda covered her eyes. "Don't you even dare, Link Kokiri!"


	45. I'm Baaaack!

**ERH MAH GERRDS OCL HAS JUST HIT 400 REVIEEWWWSSS 33**

**Thanks guys. I love all of you 3 **

**Also, there are some updates on my profile about OCL and a few other things, so check it out when you get the time :) **

**Hope you all enjoy this chapter! **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 45: I'm Baaaack! **

"Does this color look too gaudy to you?"

Zelda looked up to see Navi flashing her fingertips in her face, every single one decorated with a dark blue.

"I guess it looks okay with the right outfit," Zelda replied blankly as she turned her attention back to the formal essay she was supposed to write about _Catcher in the Rye _for English class. It was due in two days, and she barely had any of it done. It was so hard to focus on homework with Navi blathering on about the Hyrule Academy newspaper and her fingernails.

"Um, Navi, I'm going to go to the school library, alright?" Zelda said to Navi, cutting in on her self-discussion on a kind of shampoo she always wanted to buy. "I have to do some research on another project, and I need to get this essay done." It was the nicest way, really, to tell Navi she was too hard to work around because she wouldn't shut up.

Navi immediately understood though, whether it was in the way Zelda portrayed it as or the way Zelda actually intended it as. "Okay. I'll see you when you get back. Good luck on that essay."

"Thanks," Zelda said, and then closed her laptop and put it into its bag; then she grabbed her jacket and boots, and left the room. When she was in the hallway, she slipped her winter boots on and put her jacket on while she walked. It was still only four-thirty, so the library would still be open for at least another two hours. It was during exam week that the school lengthened the library's hours to midnight – for those who had to get some extra work into their cram time before the exams started.

Zelda crossed the campus from the girl's dorm rooms, staying to the paved path so that she wouldn't have to trudge through any of the thick snow. She could see a few other students travelling between the school and their dorms, and some leaving the campus entirely, probably going out to dinner or running an errand.

When Zelda made it to the school, she kicked the snow off the bottoms of her boots and then stepped inside. There were a few janitors roaming the halls, mopping the floors and tidying the classrooms, but other than that there weren't a lot of students wandering around.

She went down the hallway to the left of the entrance. She could hear the sound of shoes squeaking along the floor when she passed the gymnasium. Peering into the door window, she could see a team of students playing badminton.

_I still have to get that Judo club started,_ Zelda remembered as she continued past the gymnasium and up the stairwell right next to it. When she was on the second floor, she went down a couple more hallways until she finally came to the library. There were a few students in there already, some studying, others clacking away on the keyboards, and some just listening to music with a book held up in front of their faces, reading silently.

Zelda chose her spot at a table in the main area. She took her jacket off and draped it along the back of her chair, and then took her laptop out of her bag and set it up on the table. She opened it up again and opened her essay once again, ready to work and get it done. She enjoyed the silence of the library – it was calming, and more importantly, it was _quiet_.

Zelda began to type away on her laptop, chipping away the work she had left to do on the essay for English class. It was so quiet; even the sound of her fingertips clacking against the keyboard seemed loud in the lingering silence of the library. 0

As she worked, Zelda could hear a voice in one of the aisles between bookshelves. It was a girl's voice, and it sounded like she was singing Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."

Zelda got up from her table and went to investigate. As she got closer, she could hear the voice more clearly, and she was now certain that this person was singing that song. But not only that, she _recognized_ the person's voice; it was a voice that she knew she didn't hear regularly from school, but rather from outside of school entirely. She had a good guess of who it was, but she knew she wouldn't be sure until she turned the corner and saw the person's face.

When she finally found the aisle where the person was, her guesses proved to be correct.

"When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed, with a word she can get what she came for . . ."

Zelda stared at the tan-skinned girl. "Uzuki?"

* * *

**One week earlier**

There was a loud crash from downstairs, followed by a high-pitched yelp. Uzuki let out a sigh, and got up from her bed to see what the noise was. When she left her bedroom, she peered down the stairwell to see Zant, tied up by the ankle to the ceiling by a rope.

"Should have watched out for that," Uzuki mumbled as she slowly descended the stairs, still keeping an eye out for the bigger threat that lived in her /house/.

"Should have _warned _me about that," Zant snapped back. "Can you get me down from here?"

Uzuki took out a switchblade and released the blade, then threw it at Zant. Zant held his breath, and the next thing he knew, he was on the floor. Looking up, he saw the knife sticking into the wall above the door, and the other end of the rope hanging loosely from the ceiling.

"So, finally decided to fight back against the spawn of Satan?" Zant muttered as he untied the rope that was still wrapped around his ankle.

"Actually, quite opposite of that," Uzuki sighed. "Didn't you see that For Sale sign out front? Haven't been paying my bills, so the folks that own the place are getting ready to sell it to someone else that actually has money. I figure a few traps and such ought to keep them away."

"Why don't you just leave?" Zant said. "Leave the suffering and /house/-warping to some other family you'll never see again? I know you're not above that level of cruelty."

"I'm so flattered," Uzuki said, blowing him a kiss.

"You know they're just going to kick you out eventually, right?" Zant argued as he followed Uzuki into the kitchen.

"Well, I'm always up in my room, so they'll have to come into the /house/ to get to me and actually kick me out," Uzuki chuckled. "And we both know they won't be getting two feet in here without landing in one of my traps." Uzuki jumped over a particular spot in the floor – it probably had some kind of pressure switch trap activated there – to reach the counter.

Zant carefully copied her movements to follow her. Thankfully, he didn't set anything off.

"What trap is that?" Zant asked curiously. He was getting really excited – Uzuki had practically turned her /house/ into a deathtrap from a video game.

"It turns the propane on and lights it," Uzuki said, "so it'll make most of this side of the /house/ blow up."

The color drained from Zant's face. "M-Maybe I won't follow you around . . ."

"That would be wise." Uzuki reached up to the top counter to grab the bag of apples, and pulled two out from the bag. She tossed it to Zant before taking a bite from her own. They both jumped over the section of pressure-sensitive flooring, and then Uzuki guided Zant up the steps, only going two steps at a time, completely avoiding the steps in between.

"You really went all out with this, didn't you?" Zant laughed.

"I've got to make sure no one else tries to buy this /house/," Uzuki sighed. "No one knows that the /house/ is actually what's evil – they just always assume it's _me_."

"Well, technically _both _of you are evil, but we'll let them believe it's just you for now, I guess," Zant teased.

"Hurrah."

When they finally made it to Uzuki's room, Uzuki led the way, and hopped over to the area where her dresser was, and then finally hopped over to her bed, bouncing on the mattress as she landed. Zant did the same.

"Even a trap in your room?" Zant asked. "What does this one do?"  
"Nah, I just wanted to do that for fun," Uzuki replied. "Keep my legs nimble. The floor is hot lava, etcetera etcetera."

Zant realized that he had just bounced his way through Uzuki's room for no reason. "O-Oh . . . I knew that." He settled himself down on her bed, his back against the wall, sitting right next to Uzuki, who was positioned the same way.

There was silence between them for a few minutes. Finally, after about five minutes, Zant let out a loud sigh.

"There really isn't anything else you can do about the /house/ being for sale?" Zant asked. "Why not just pay off the debt?"

"No money coming in right now," Uzuki sighed. "I can't work with Him coming after me. And no one around here wants to buy drawings from me because I'm so deliciously evil."

"Do you know if there's anyone planning on buying it yet?"

"So far the realtor has informed me that there's one family planning on buying it. Can't really remember their last name. Navidson or something like that. Husband and wife with two kids – the perfect family haunting."

Zant smirked, as if an idea had just come to mind. "Well, why not let them take the /house/ for now? After all, He isn't really one with the /house/. He's just after you, and you had the bad luck of living in a /house/ that's bigger on the inside than it is on the out. Didn't you say the two weren't align with one another?"  
"That's true," Uzuki said. "But He and the /house/ still resonate together to some extent."

"Well, leave the /house/ then," Zant said. "Separate Him from the /house/ and that resonance will be gone – He'll probably be weaker."

"Maybe. But even assuming He comes with me, that still makes my life a living hell; and it leaves a physically-impossible /house/ in the hands of some random couple probably thinking of raising a family in it or something."

"Uzuki, you're the one who's already planning on practically killing them with those traps of yours. I think the results of this /house/ will be the least of their worries compared to what _you'll_ do to them if they trespass."

Uzuki let out a laugh. "I'll think about it, okay?"

"Aaaand, if you leave this neighborhood, no one will know you – you won't be considered "evil", so people would buy your art more."

Uzuki stopped to think, this time on a more serious note.

_I guess it would work, _she thought.

_Feh. _

_Better than this shitty neighborhood, no?_

_Whatever floats your boats, sweetheart. _

_Okay, then._

"Not to mention, you won't have to worry about my dad locking you up in the zoo," Zant added with a light and envious smirk.

"Done," Uzuki said immediately.

"You should head to Hyrule Academy," Zant suggested. "Link and Zelda and the group are there. Not to mention it would give you something to do in the day. Enrolling gets you free housing. Plenty of students to buy artwork from you. There are many more positive sides to heading there than anywhere else when it comes down to it."

"You had me sold when you mentioned that point about ole' Irwin."

Zant shrugged his shoulders. "It's settled, then. When do you think you'll be heading out?"

"Well, I'll have to call the school and do all that technical crap. I'll do that all this week. May as well start after the holidays. I'll pretty much be on break until second semester though."

"Lots of time to get yourself settled into your new home," Zant said.

_New home . . . _Uzuki thought. It was almost sad to think of it that way. Despite the troubles she had with it, this /house/ was still the one place she could find the solitude she desired. The one place where she wasn't expected to do what other people wanted her to do. It was her real home.

"Hey, you wanna play some video games or something?" Uzuki asked. She wanted to get her mind off all the change that would be happening in the coming weeks.

"Sure," Zant said. "What games do you got here?"

"Mario Kart," Uzuki replied. "All my other games are in boxes. Down in the basement. Care to go on a magical adventure for your mentally psychotic princess?"

"Fuck that," Zant sighed. "Mario Kart it is."

* * *

"So, you're name is Uzuki Kasahara, correct?"

"Yes, age seventeen," she lied. The best thing she found about her body was that she could pull off looking like a woman in her forties, but could also pull off looking like a teenager.

"And you're in grade eleven?"

"Yes."

There was a heavy splurge of static.

"Sorry," Uzuki apologized. "My phone is acting up again. Anyway, you were saying?"

"One thing I will have to ask you, Uzuki, is to fax or email us your transcript from grade ten so we will know what courses you took and how many credits you have. This is just to make sure we know what level you're at and what type of graduation certificate or diploma you will be receiving if you graduate with us."

_Ugh, god. Didn't think I'd be graduating from high school again. _

"Yeah, no problem. I'll get that to you by the end of the day."

"We'd also like to ask that you send us any health information," the woman continued. "Just in case of emergencies."

_Yep, there will probably be emergencies all right._

"We'll stay in touch. Thank you for considering us, Ms. Kasahara."

"No problem," Uzuki said before hanging up the phone. She stared at it for a moment, and then directed her gaze to the door.

"Would it kill you to leave my technology alone while I'm _using _it?" she asked the man in the suit at her doorway. He stared at her, his face blank and emotionless, as always. As she stared at him, she could feel her heart speeding up, and her head getting dizzy. She quickly looked away to take a breather. When she looked back, he was closer.

"Easy now . . ." she hushed him. While keeping her eyes trained on him, she began to back away, and carefully motioned her way out the open window in her bedroom. Very slowly and carefully, she pulled herself out, her eyes still trained on his, and then with her eyes still on the window as she stepped out into the cold air, she climbed up the roof, until she was near the attic window.

"There," she whispered, acting as if he could hear her. "I'm above you now. You can't hurt me."

There was no sound, no movement, nothing. Uzuki didn't even breathe for a few moments. But finally, she could feel the peace. She could feel the evil being leaving . . . for now. It would probably be back by the end of the day.

* * *

**One week later (present day)**

"So, you two are my roommates?"

"Sure are," the first girl replied. Her hair was dark brown, and held above her head in an afro-style cut. "Name's Iza. And this is my sister, Hena." She gestured to her younger sister, who looked to be the quite opposite of Iza. She had brown hair that was braided underneath a hat, and she was much shorter, and clearly didn't approve of showing off the chest area like Iza did.

"Pleased to meet you," Hena said. Even her _voice _was completely opposite – it was much softer; not as harsh and loud as her sister.

"Thanks," Uzuki replied. "My name is Uzuki."

_And I have a tall man in a suit chasing after me._

* * *

"And that's how I ended up here!"

Zelda stared at Uzuki. "Huh," was all she could reply with.

"I came to the library because I couldn't stand being in that room any longer with those girls and their stupid birds. They _both _own myrna birds – it's the most annoying thing on the planet, and they don't _shut up_. Like, they actually _talk_."

"Sounds unpleasant," Zelda replied. "I used to own a myrna bird, back when I was little . . . he didn't really talk a lot though."

"Nothing but chatty is what they are," Uzuki sighed. "Then again, I'm sure I'm not pleasant to listen to either. Either way, myrna birds aside, I don't start my classes until this semester ends. So for now I'm kinda just wandering around."

"I guess that's not too bad," Zelda said. "I'm just working on this English essay now, so it's nice to have some familiar company. It's not like _my_ roommate is any better when it comes to distracting chattiness." Zelda began to type up her essay, working away at it while she talked to Uzuki. "So, kind of left your friends behind, huh? What about Peter?"

"I don't like making my already-complicated life even more complicated with dramatic stuff like relationships," Uzuki sighed. "Besides, I didn't really think of us as dating anyway. I've got far more things to worry about right now than a serious relationship."

"He seemed pretty serious about it, though," Zelda said.

"Well, that's him," Uzuki grumbled. "I could hardly give two shits. Uzuki Kasahara gives zero fucks about anything."

Zelda giggled slightly. "I'm sure he gave some shits though."

"Too bad for him," Uzuki sighed. "Life goes on. If you can't keep up, then you're already dead."

The girls continued to talk, their voices hushed in the silence of the library. The only other sound was the clacking of Zelda's fingertips on her keyboard. After nearly an hour, Zelda was finished, and was printing off the final copy. She stapled the printed pieces of paper off, and then got up from the table, Uzuki following suite.

"It's still early in the day," Uzuki said as they walked through the school halls. "What do you say we go out for a coffee or something? My treat."

Zelda hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Sure. I haven't been able to just sit back and drink a coffee in the longest time. But let's make it quick, okay? I've got some other stuff I've gotta do when I get back to my dorm."

Uzuki nodded with a smile. Zelda packed up her laptop and followed Uzuki out of the library, and then outside to the cold winter air.

* * *

Uzuki sat down at the two-seat table, a cup of warm french vanilla coffee in her hand. The inside of the coffee shop was warm and comfortable, away from the cold environment that remained outdoors.

"It really is nice to see you again, Uzuki," Zelda said, tearing her chocolate chip muffin in half. "I was worried about you staying in that house alone. It's not normal."

"Please, I was more worried about your step-dad sneaking into my house in the middle of the night and attempting to blow my brains out with that shotgun."

Zelda laughed. "Well, at least now I can keep an eye on you."

"Sure thing, Mother," Uzuki snickered before taking a sip of her coffee.

"So, have you decided on what classes you're going to take?" Zelda asked. It was kind of exciting, knowing that Uzuki, whom she always knew from back home, would now be attending school with them.

"I'm taking . . . C++ and Javascript for my programming courses, and then Art and Writing," Uzuki replied.

"Two difficult classes, two casual classes. Sounds like a good plan. I'm in Art too."

"521 or 621?" Uzuki asked. "Yes, I'm putting myself into grade eleven, but I'm taking the grade twelve level art class."

"Oh, okay. Makes sense. Other than Art, I'm in Writing, Biology, and Chemistry. We'll be sharing Writing together, at least," Zelda said.

"Sounds good," Uzuki sighed. "I remember Chemistry. So many damn rules . . ."

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. "Could be worse. Biology is so many notes."

A wide smile grew on Uzuki's face. "Are you kidding? Notes are the best! I love taking notes; much better than doing stupid old worksheets any day!"

Zelda shook her head. "You're crazy, I tell you."

Uzuki smiled again. She took another sip from her coffee, and then continued, "We should probably head back to the school soon. I've got some drawings I gotta do. And I'm sure you've got your studying to attend to."

"Yeah," Zelda sighed. "Thanks for buying me coffee and stuff. We should do this again sometime."

"Of course!"

Uzuki and Zelda both got up from the table, both of them with their coffees in their hands. They pushed their chairs in, and then Zelda led the way out of the coffee shop. The cold greeted them the moment they stepped outside.

"I used to hate winter," Uzuki sighed, "but being in my situation now, I'd probably die faster in the summer."

Zelda stared at her. She knew she was talking about her little "problem".

"Uzuki . . . are you . . . going to be okay?" Zelda asked worriedly.

"I've been on the run from this thing for years, Zelda," Uzuki muttered. "It's no change from my usual lifestyle . . . I've just gotten rid of that /house/. But I'll never lose Him . . . unfortunately for my kind, we don't get a happy ending."

Zelda wanted to say something, but she didn't know how to bring Uzuki out of her sadness. She didn't know how to deal with something like this.

Uzuki's gaze locked onto something past Zelda for a split moment, but then she blinked, shook her head, and smiled at her friend. "I'll be fine, okay? I'm like a national treasure for my kind – one of the people to have gone the longest without getting caught. I know how to handle myself out there; I'm not going to slip up."

Zelda nodded. "I trust you."

Uzuki smiled. "Okay, Zel, let's head back. It's not safe for me to be out in the open like this."

Uzuki led the way, steering Zelda away from where the suited, faceless man was watching them only a few feet away.


	46. Distance and Closure

**Hey everyone,**

**I just do not like this chapter in the slightest bit, but thank god the next chapter is going to be a bit more fun/humorous/etc. This chapter is just a random jumble of crap to me, but if you guys enjoy it, I'll be happy ^ ^ And of course, there's a lemon in this chapter so warning to people who don't like reading that kind of stuffs. Enjoy ^ ^ **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 46: Distance and Closure**

"Come on, Kokiri, I didn't take this job so I could sit and watch you laze around!"

Link tried to speed up his push-ups, but he was exhausted. His arms were trembling, ready to collapse at any moment. It was a lot harder to do push-ups without the support of his toes on his foot; just having his big toe out of order was making it harder to hold himself up with the rest of his toes.

Finally, Coach Darunia blew his whistle loudly from where he was standing next to Link. "Okay, that'll do, Kokiri!"

Link let out a relieved groan and got up from the floor, dusting his hands off afterwards. When the rest of the students were done with their warm-ups and workouts, Darunia blew his whistle again to get the students' attention.

"Alright, kids, we can't go outside today because of the snow, and it's a Friday, so we're going to do something fun today," Darunia announced in a loud, deep voice.

"How exhilarating," Shade mumbled. "Are we going to be playing tiddlywinks?"

Darunia ignored Shade's smart remark and continued, "We're going to be playing a nice, healthy game of dodgeball, folks."

The class started to snicker to themselves a little. Shade shuffled over to Link.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, you haven't played dodgeball with us yet," Link replied. "Well, you know Kafei? He has this really bad habit of . . . well, he pretty much attracts the balls like a magnet and always gets hit in the face."

Shade held in his laughter, but couldn't help himself, and released a few snorts under his breath.

"Not to mention, Nabooru has the most powerful arm on the team when it comes to dodgeball," Link replied. "I heard that if you take a dodgeball to the face from her, it's like getting kissed by a sixteen-wheel big rig."

"Ouch," Shade laughed. "He'd better hope he doesn't get put on the team against Nabooru."

Darunia separated the students into teams. Link ended up being on a team with Kafei and Ganon. Shade was on the opposite team with Nabooru and Alexis. Seven people to each team.

"Great, we've got the _ball magnet_," Ganon sneered. "Why don't you just go to the nurse's office now before you get _really _hurt, kid?" he asked Kafei.

Kafei ignored him, and kept his sights focused on the students on the other side. Darunia placed six rubber dodgeballs on the center line that divided the gym through the middle, between both teams.

"At the sound of the whistle, the game will begin. Teammates can grab the dodgeballs at the center to use, at their own risk! If you are out, you must wait until either the round ends, or until the person that hit you is hit themselves and is out! The round begins-" Darunia blew on his whistle again, this time extra loud, "-_now_!"

At his signal, most of the students from both teams – excluding a few who decided to stay back, including Kafei – sprinted forward to grab the limited amount of dodgeballs in the center. Link was one of the students who stayed back. He knew it would be too difficult to run in and run back out with his broken toe; not like playing the game anyway was going to be a difficult task in itself. But at least it was Friday – after this, Link could sit back and not worry about getting his foot stepped on, or crushed, or rolled over, or anything of the sort.

Two were off Link's team by the time most of the students returned to their side, dodgeballs in hand, and only one was gone from the other team. In a matter of seconds, dodgeballs were flying left and right, and students were getting knocked out, one after the other. And surprisingly, Link hadn't been knocked out yet, but he wasn't going to get his hopes up either.

The game continued, with students getting knocked out, and other students who had been knocked out by previous students coming back in. With Nabooru knocking out most of the students on Link's team, and not getting hit, the number of players on Link's side was waning, and eventually, even Link got knocked out, getting hit unexpectedly in the shin; not a hit from Nabooru, but rather from another student Link hadn't seen sneaking around and eyeing him the whole time.

When Link sat down on the benches outside the field of play, Alexis from the opposite team slid over to him and whispered, "How long do you think Kafei will go before he gets hit in the face?"

Link smirked. "Beats me, but if Nabooru is the one to get him, it's going to be a photo finish."

Link and Alexis watched the game together. On Link's team, Ganon, Kafei, and a couple other students remained; and on Alexis' team, Nabooru was dominating as the lead thrower, with Sheik still in, as well as two other students. Both teams were even in players, but Nabooru was quickly closing in on the remainder of Link's teammates.

"So, getting ready for exams?" Alexis asked.

"Eh, a little. I really don't stress a lot about them," Link replied. "I feel like if I study too early, it just puts too much stress on my head and makes it even _harder _to study, let alone remember all the stuff I need to know."

"I guess that makes sense."

"But Zel has been studying like a mad woman," Link continued with a sigh. "She's a little better now that I've talked to her a bit about it, but she still studies a ton after school. We haven't been able to spend any real time together since the Christmas break.

"That stinks," Alexis said. "But things will go back to normal after exams, right?"

"Well, yeah, but I hate seeing Zel like that," Link replied. "Even if the exams are getting closer, she still has to learn how to relax every once in a while and give her brain a rest."

"Hmm . . ." Alexis pondered. "Well, I'm planning a movie night for tomorrow with a few friends. If you two want to come, you're more than welcome to. We're going to have pizza and chinese food and stuff."

Link smiled. "That sounds great, Alexis. Who else is coming?"

"Eh, just a few friends. Malon, Saria, Ruto, the like. And so is Kaf-"

The sound of Darunia's whistle as well as his booming voice cut her off. "Kafei's out!"

When Alexis and Link looked back to the game, they saw Kafei getting carried out by two other students.

"What happened?" Link exclaimed. "Did Kafei get hit?"

Nabooru laughed and did a little curtsey.

"Dammit, we missed it!" Alexis cried out. She jumped up from the bench she was sitting on and faced the students out on the floor. "Hey, did anyone get it on their phone? Anyone?"

One student from the bleachers raised his hand. Alexis ran over to where he was sitting, a smartphone in his hand.

When Darunia returned to the floor, he blew his whistle to settle the students. "He's alright. He's just been taken to the nurse to make sure he hasn't got a concussion or anything. He was hit pretty hard, so it's better to be safe than sorry."

The gymnasium buzzed with excitement, but then Darunia blew his whistle again. "We'll keep playing for the rest of class. Nabooru, watch that arm of yours! We're playing dodgeball, not training for the army."

Nabooru shrugged her shoulders and returned to her side of the gym with the rest of her team, her teammates giving her high fives and pats on the shoulder.

Link stood up from the bleachers and walked out to his side of the team as well. And at the sound of Darunia's whistle, the game continued, until the bell rang at the end, signalling the break until next class.

After gym was over, Link changed back into his regular clothes and left for the hallways for break. He found Zelda in the History classroom, already getting ready for her next class.

"Hey," he greeted her. "Are you free tomorrow evening?"

"Sorry, I'm going to be-"

"Studying?" Link interrupted.

Zelda didn't reply.

"I'll take that as a yes," Link sighed.

"Sorry, Link, but I really need to get this stuff down. Exams are in two weeks, and-"

"And you need to take a _break_," Link cut in again. "Come on, Zel, Alexis is planning a movie night for Saturday evening. You'll be able to sit back, have a few laughs, eat some junk food, and hang out with your friends. Your brain needs to relax too, you know."

Zelda didn't say anything for a few minutes, but then replied, "I'll think about it."

Link smiled. "That's better than a no."

The bell rang for next class. Link leaned forward and kissed Zelda's head. "See you later."

* * *

After class was over, Link met up with Zelda again. She stayed at the school after the dismissal bell, and went straight to the gymnasium.

"What are you up to?" Link asked.

"I've got to get Coach Darunia and see if it's okay to hold my Judo club in the gym," she replied.

"Still trying to get that started?" Link asked.

"Yes, but it's not going to start until after exams," Zelda said. "People are just too busy with exams right now to focus on judo."

Link nodded in agreement.

When Zelda found Darunia's office, she knocked on the door lightly and greeted him with a smile.

"Yes, what is it?" Darunia asked without taking his eyes off the forms he was filling out on his desk.

"Hi there," Zelda replied. "Um, my name is Zelda . . . I'm not in your gym class, but I'm the one that was interested in starting up a Judo club."

Darunia lifted his head from his desk and looked at her. "Ah, pleasure to meet you, Ms. Zelda!" he greeted with a wide smile. He saw Link standing next to her. "You too, Kokiri?"

"Oh, he's just tagging along," Zelda replied. "I'm starting a Judo club, but we'd need some place open for us to use, with equipment like crash mats and the like. Would it be any trouble if we were to use the gymnasium after school, when it's not being used?"

Darunia thought for a moment, and then checked the spreadsheet hanging on the wall next to his desk. It looked like an elaborate sports schedule.

"Well, we've got rugby on Thursdays, basketball on Mondays, and badminton on Wednesday; so that leaves you with Tuesdays and Fridays free to do Judo."

"Sounds good to me," Zelda said.

"Doesn't interfere with guitar club either," Link added.

Zelda nodded in agreement before focusing on Darunia again. "So I guess because you're giving me these possible dates, it's okay if we use the gym?"

"Certainly!" Darunia replied. "But just make sure that any equipment you use goes back when you're done. And use it _safely_. Any accidents on your part isn't going to be my responsibility. That will be left to your club supervisor."

"I already have a supervisor in mind, sir," Zelda said.

Darunia smiled. "Sounds like you're good to go." He took Zelda's hand and shook it. "Pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Zelda!"

When Link and Zelda left Darunia's office, Link couldn't help but feel a little disturbed.

"What's up with you?" Zelda questioned him.

Link shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing. Just never seen Darunia _smile _like that. At least not when he's torturing the shit out of us."

Zelda laughed. "I guess he goes easy on girls."

"Or he's just creepy."

* * *

When Link and Zelda left the school, Link stopped Zelda on the path.

"Zel, do you want to go get a coffee or something?" Link asked.

"I dunno, Link, I really need to get back . . ."

"Zelda, it's the weekend," Link growled. "You have plenty of time to do all your studying. Coffee will take twenty minutes, forty minutes tops if we actually have a conversation."

"Do you really have to be snappy like that?" Zelda asked with a scowl.

Link sighed. "Zelda, can we just . . . not do this?"

Zelda stared at him.  
"You know what I'm talking about," Link continued. "We've been doing nothing but arguing for the past while. I want to be able to sit and relax with you, Zel. It's the weekend, so can we please just do that?"

Zelda went silent.

"Please?" Link asked again.

Zelda sighed, and shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, but twenty minutes, okay? I really don't want to cut into my studying time too much."

Link smiled, and kissed Zelda's forehead. "Thank you, Zel. I love you."

"Love you too," Zelda mumbled, rolling her eyes and shrugging him off.

* * *

Link brought his and Zelda's coffee over to the table to where Zelda was sitting.

"This is the second time this week someone has forced me out to coffee," Zelda grumbled.

"Who was the other person?" Link asked curiously.

"You haven't seen her yet? Uzuki is at the school now," Zelda said.

Link nearly choked on his coffee as he drank it. "What?"

"She's been around since the beginning of this week," Zelda said. "Can't believe you haven't seen her around yet . . ."

"So wait, she's visiting?"

"No, no, she's actually _registered _here now."

Link shuddered. "Why is she here now? I mean, I don't hate Uzuki, but . . . I dunno, something about her freaks me out."

"Well, besides the fact that her life is a living creepypasta, she just has a few personal issues," Zelda sighed. "That's why she moved here – to try and get away from all of that."

Link took a sip from his coffee. "Well, I guess she's better off here than there. I was only in the garage of that house and I got the chills."

Zelda sighed. "Well, as long as it doesn't follow us here, I'm fine with it."

Link smirked. "Aww, Zelda, a little scared of the boogeyman?"

Zelda scowled at him, a grim look in her eyes. "Does the boogeyman tear your limbs off and dissect your innards only to hang them in plastic bags from trees? I don't think so."

"I'm sure he would, if he were a serial killer," Link muttered. "But that doesn't sound like some kind of horrific ghost – that just sounds like someone getting a little crazy with their kitchen knife."

"Either way, Uzuki's been dealing with it for a long time now." Zelda let out another sigh. "But enough about Uzuki; how are you doing?"

Link smiled. "I'm doing fine. It's been a long time since we've been able to just sit down and talk like this; I'm glad we were able to spend even a bit of today together."

"Me too," Zelda said. "And I'm sorry for being so . . . hard to talk to lately. I've already apologized so much for it but honestly, I've been stupid."

Link took her hand. "Shush. It's alright. I understand you're under a lot of stress; but we can relax and watch a movie with some friends tomorrow, alright?"  
Zelda smiled "I'm looking forward to it."

When they were done, Link escorted Zelda out of the cafe. It was close to the school, so they only had to walk a couple blocks before they were back.

"So, I take it it's back to studying for you?" Link snickered.

Zelda stopped walking. When Link stopped too, she walked up to him and snuggled in close.

"I've missed you, you know," Zelda whispered. "How about we just hang out for the rest of today?"

Link smiled. "I'd like that," he replied. He took Zelda's hand and walked with her to the boys' dorm building. When they made it to Link's room, Link unlocked the door with his room key, and they stepped inside.

"Sheik must be hanging out with Mido or Malon or something," Link said when he noticed his roommate was gone. "Ah well. So, Zel, how are-"

Link couldn't finish his sentence; he was cut off from speaking by Zelda's lips suddenly pressing against his. When Zelda pulled away, Link's heart was already racing.

". . . You know, you could have just said so," he chuckled. Link pulled Zelda in close and let his lips rest on hers. They kissed, slowly at first, but then it grew more intense, and Link found he couldn't keep his hands off her any longer. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in close and kissing her faster and harder with each passing second. Soon he could feel Zelda's tongue gently touching his lips with each kiss, and he started to do the same, allowing their tongues to just touch each other's as they kissed.

Without even having to think about it, Zelda leaned up further as Link lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her into his bedroom. Once they were in his room, Link carried Zelda over and gently laid her on the bed before leaning down and continuing to kiss her. Zelda's legs stayed wrapped around his waist, pulling him in close as he laid on top of her, his lips moving quickly with hers. His lips only stayed on hers for a moment, though, before he started to move them down her neck. He let his lips drag softly against the skin of her neck and collarbone, as well as her cheeks and her ears. Zelda closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the amazing feeling of it all. Link's breath was warm and tickled her skin, his lips were soft and gentle, and the occasional dab of his tongue made her heart race.

"Link . . ." Zelda whispered, pleasure resonating through her voice.

Link moved back up again to kiss Zelda's lips gently. They stared into each other's eyes for a mere moment, before Zelda pulled Link into another passionate-filled kiss. As they were kissing, Zelda pushed Link up a little so that they were both sitting up, and she let her hands roam all over his chest.

Before Link knew it or could even think about what was happening, he was sitting up straighter so that Zelda could get her hands underneath his black shirt and get it off him. After that, Zelda let her hands play over Link's now-naked chest, her fingertips sending pleasurable chills through Link's body.

Link smiled at Zelda, and kissed Zelda's forehead. "You sure seem excited, don't you?"

Zelda laughed lightly, and shook her head. "I can't help it. Ever since . . . ever since we had that night together . . ." Zelda sighed. "That night was amazing, Link. And I . . . I want to have more like them. I want to have more nights like them, with _you__._"

Link's heart did a small leap at the sound of Zelda's words. "I do too, Zel," Link said.

Zelda blushed, and then leaned forward to kiss Link softly again. As they kissed, Link gently pushed Zelda back down onto the bed, and let his body press up against hers. Their kissing grew more passionate with each passing second, and soon Link was unbuttoning the front of Zelda's white shirt, pulling both sides apart and revealing her covered breasts underneath. Zelda sighed as Link massaged her right breast with his hand. He alternated with his hand between both of Zelda's breasts, massaging them gently as he kissed her.

As his hands continued, Link soon had Zelda's shirt entirely off, and was letting the skin of his chest press lightly against her own. The feeling of Link's skin on hers was so hard to describe . . . but it was definitely a good feeling, and she didn't want it to stop.

"Link . . ." Zelda panted.

Link smiled and kissed Zelda's lips before pushing her back down into the blankets and pillows of the bed.

* * *

"Augh, Link . . . !" Zelda cried out as Link thrust himself harder into her body.

Link leaned down and kissed her lips. "Ssshhh, we can't be too loud, Zel . . ." he whispered to her. He pulled Zelda's legs up around his waist and pushed into her again, feeling her sweaty body slide against his as he did it. Zelda moaned loudly as she felt Link slide inside of her and then back out, over and over again.

Zelda held herself close to Link as he continued to thrust into her. Her body was tingling with pleasure and excitement, and she could see by the look in Link's eyes that he was feeling the exact same feeling. Zelda held onto him tighter, feeling his chest move up and down against hers as he moved into her, then back out again.

She sure wasn't expecting a day like this, but it was happening anyway, and she _enjoyed _it. And not just doing it, but doing it with Link. And thinking about it just made her want him _more_.

As he continued to push into her, Link buried his head into Zelda's shoulder, feeling her hair tickle his neck and face.

"Link . . ." Zelda breathed heavily. She could feel her body heating and tensing; she could tell that Link was getting her close. She bit her lip and raked her fingernails down Link's back as she felt her body release, a tingling sensation travelling through her whole body. She tried not to be too loud, but it was hard to hold herself back.

After her body had slowed down a little, Link held himself back up so he could lean down and kiss her. His lips were warm and soft, just like the rest of his body as it rested on hers. Zelda breathed heavily with Link, and rubbed her hands through his hair.

She didn't know if it was getting to spend time with Link, the sex, or the energy that it took to have it with him, but Zelda felt relieved. She _needed _this, but she didn't know exactly how much until now.

"Zelda, you're so . . . ugh . . ." Link groaned. "So . . . amazing . . ."

"Speak for yourself . . ." Zelda giggled.

"That was just . . . ugh, that was amazing," Link repeated.

Zelda giggled. "Don't be exaggerating now."

"Zel, just . . . shush up," Link groaned. "I'm not exaggerating in the slightest."

"Suuureee," Zelda chanted with a giggle. She snuggled up close to Link, her skin warm against his. He pulled the blanket over the both of them so they could snuggle up together on the bed.

In just a few minutes, Zelda was asleep.

* * *

Zelda had been lucky enough to wake up before Sheik returned to the room. She had been dressed and ready to go when Sheik showed up.

"Hey Zel," Sheik greeted her. "Hanging out with Link?"

"Yeah," Zelda said quickly. "I'm heading out now though."

"Ah, okay. See you around."

And at that, Zelda left the room, and Sheik stepped in, passing by one another without so much as a second glance from Zelda.

"You two seem kinda antsy," Sheik said after he had closed the door and fully stepped into the dorm room. He stopped when he got a better look at Link. His hair was slightly ruffled, and he looked just as excited as Zelda.

Sheik smirked a little, and then exaggerated his motion of sniffing the air. "You smell like sweat and boobs. You two did it in the apartment, didn't you?"

"No," Link said immediately. "Besides, boobs don't have a smell."

"Sure they do," Sheik snickered. "They smell like boobs – like you."

"I dunno if that's supposed to be an insult towards me or if you're actually accusing me of having sex in the dorm room with Zel."

"Getting defensive! That's score one towards you having sex in the dorm room."

"I'm _not _getting _defensive_!" I growl.

"Raising your voice – two points!"

"Sheik, shut up!"

"Telling Sheik to shut up – three points!"


	47. Movie Night

**OH LOOK NICE LONG 7,000 WORD CHAPTER FOR ALL YOU LITTLE &%*$'S (just kidding I love you guys 3) **

**Hey guys,**

**Okay, before we start with this chapter, there are a couple things I'd like to touch on, if you guys are willing to read this. If not, move onto the chapter, but it would be nice if you took a couple moments of your time to at least skim over what I'm about to say ^ ^" **

**First, I've been receiving a few reviews/opinions from readers saying stuff like "I'm twelve and I don't really understand this" or "could you not make the lemons so gross I'm only ten you know" and all that. To the younger readers, I am not gearing this story towards you. It's great that you like to read it, but PLEASE don't be complaining to me if you find the lemons "inappropriate" or anything like that, because I'm gearing this story towards MATURE READERS (it's rated M for a reason folks – the rating is right there and it even says in the summary, which has been the same for like, 2/3 years, that the story is "NOT FOR KIDDIES". So if you're a twelve year old and you don't like lemons, that's just too bad because I'm not writing the story for twelve year olds – I'm writing the story for people about, eh, 16 and up. **

**I mean, really, it's like kids playing Call of Duty. Sure, they play the games, but they're meant for people aged 17+, so the developers of CoD could care less if the twelve year olds playing find it "too gruesome". I'm not saying I don't care about the twelve year olds reading my story, cause I'm glad they enjoy it, but I'm not changing it if people who are in a younger age group find it "inappropriate", because for the age group the story is aimed for, it really isn't; and if you find THAT innappropriate, I really hope you younger guys don't read Tell Me Secrets when I start it, cause' it's going to be waaaay more "inappropriate" than OCL xD" long point made short: _OCL ISN'T THAT INAPPROPRIATE WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT. _**

**Also, I think someone suggested for a Link x OC? I'm not really going to change the relationship of Link and Zelda just like that considering that's what the whole story is based around xD" I do have future arcs planned out around Link and Zelda's relationship, both good and bad, but I'm not revealing those and I'm not going to suddenly make the story Link x OC cause that would just make nooo sense x3" Little suggestions like "You should make X a teacher and X a student" are fine because that's easy to consider, but I'm not going to change the whole plotline from suggestions like that x3" (as you can tell, these are mostly replies to anonymous reviewers that I can't reply to; just getting these replies out there now for everyone else to see as well). **

**OH YEAH and someone said there was a paradox with Oni being in university even though he's Link and Shade's twin brother, who are both in high school? Yeah that's going to be explained, I just haven't gotten around to that yet xDDD" SO I'M SORRY IF PEOPLE WERE KINDA SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS OVER IT xDDD" **

**Also, this chapter is gonna be a BIT more serious later on, so for people who may have weak stomachs, you maaay want to be cautious of that ; w;"""""**

**THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE REALLY IMPORTANT I WAS GONNA SAY BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT IS NOW AND FJDKAFDAKSLFDJAKSL ; -;**

**alright screw me I can't remember D8 ENJOY THE CHAPTER FOLKS ; -; **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

* * *

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 47: Movie Night**

By the time Saturday evening rolled around, Alexis' "small get-together" had blown up into a full theatre production being hosted in Alexis' room. Two hours before the movie was scheduled to start, and _fifteen people _had notified Alexis that they were coming – Link, Zelda, Mido and Saria, Sheik and Malon, Mikau and Ruto, Lulu, Navi, Tatl and Tael, Ciela, Kafei, and Fi. And she knew that more people would probably join in by the time the movie started.

_And even then_, Alexis thought as she cleared the room out, _Nyla is still coming, too . . . I'll have to hurry out soon to pick her up . . . _Alexis wanted to surprise Nyla by bringing her along to this movie night. She knew that, with her living conditions, Nyla didn't get to enjoy days where she could just sit back and watch a movie with friends. But she wanted to give Nyla a night to remember, at least. A night to make friends, and a night to just enjoy herself without worrying about all the things she had to worry about.

Alexis pulled her roommate's couch out of her end of the room and dragged it over until it was in front of her flatscreen television. Her roommate was gone for the weekend to visit family, but she had given Alexis permission to use her couch for the movie night she knew Alexis was planning; so long as she took care of it, of course. When the couch was in place, Alexis set up a few extra chairs as well, seeing as the couch wouldn't be enough room for everyone.

When everything was ready, Alexis stepped back and admired the room.

_Tonight's going to be great_, she thought cheerfully as she grabbed her jacket, threw on her boots, and grabbed her wallet before heading out.

* * *

Link knocked on the dorm room door, Zelda standing close by his side. Only a couple seconds passed before Alexis answered.

"Hey, you two!" Alexis exclaimed. "Glad you could make it!"

"Same here," Link replied. Alexis stepped aside to let them into the room. When Link and Zelda walked in, they saw that Kafei, Malon, Sheik, Mikau, and Lulu had already arrived. The five teenagers were sharing a conversation on the couch with bottles of root beer and handfuls of chips.

"Hey, look, Link and Zelda are here!" Kafei exclaimed with a smile and a wave.

"Hey, guys," Link replied. He shot a smile in Lulu's direction. "Lulu, nice to see you. You're looking nice tonight."

Lulu smiled brightly. "Thank you, Link."

Sheik waved at Zelda. "Hey, Zel, you finally crawled out of your cave? I bet the sunlight hurts, huh?"

While stifling a smile, Zelda rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, get your laughs now; at least all my studying is going to pay off."

Sheik smiled in reply. "As long as you come out for some fresh air every now and then, yeah?"

"Mmhmm," Zelda giggled.

Link was surprised how much Sheik and Zelda got along. It came so easily between the both of them, and Link was happy for that. And even though Sheik had been joking, it _was _nice to see Zelda being social again.

Just as Link was about to sit down, there was another knock on Alexis' door. After she answered it, Tatl, Tael, Navi, Ciela, and Fi all entered together.

"Looks like the vast majority of the girls are here," Link chuckled.

"Ruto and Saria aren't here yet, though," Zelda pointed out. "Mido and Saria will probably be coming together . . ."

"I wonder why Ruto isnt' here?" Link asked. "Mikau's here; I figured they would have come together."

"Oh please, Ruto's _always _late," Zelda snickered, "but I'm sure she'll show up soon. She's not one to miss a party."

* * *

The people who had already showed up to the party stayed and talked for a while as more guests arrived. Soon Mido and Saria were there, and eventually Ruto _did _show up; but by then, Mikau was already in an engaging conversation with Lulu.

"Oh my god, I _love _that movie," Lulu exclaimed. "Now tell me – favorite movie?"

"A good tie between _A Clockwork Orange _and _The Breakfast Club_." Mikau replied. "But I go through phases of favorites."

"Breakfast Club is amazing," Lulu agreed. "But I'm kinda ashamed to say I haven't seen Clockwork Orange yet . . ."

"It's pretty awesome," Mikau said. "We'll definitely have to watch it together sometime." Mikau smiled at Lulu. "I didn't think you were so into movies."

"_And _music," Lulu added.

"And music," Mikau repeated with a laugh.

Ruto stepped in, a sly smile on her face. "Well, it seems you two are becoming _swell _friends." She glared at Lulu for a split moment before looking back to Mikau. Suddenly, her smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown. "Mikau, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uh . . . sure," Mikau muttered as he got up from his chair. Ruto grabbed him by his jacket sleeve and pulled him aside, away from the crowd.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ruto hissed, staying quiet so she wouldn't attract attention; but Mikau could tell she was fuming with anger.

"Um, socializing?" Mikau replied. "Ruto, what's the matter?"

"You haven't even said hi to me, let alone spend any time with me since I got here!"

"Ruto, you showed up like, a half-hour after me. I called you so I could ask you if you wanted to come to the party with me, but you didn't pick up your phone and you never called _me,_so I decided to head for the party and keep trying to call you. And when I saw you weren't here, I tried calling your phone and you _still _didn't pick up, so I figured I'd wait for you!"

"Well, I'm here now!" Ruto growled.

"Yes, but I wasn't going to stand by the door until you showed up, so obviously I started talking to people! You can't blame me for that! It's your own fault for being _late_, like always!"

Before any more words could be spoken, Ruto's hand slapped Mikau hard across the face. Then she turned and walked away. Mikau rubbed the spot on his cheek where Ruto's hand had struck. Then he let out a sigh.

_Tonight's going to be a long night . . ._

* * *

Alexis answered the door for the sixth time that night.

". . . You've _got _to be kidding me," Alexis sneered when she saw Shade, Ren, Nabooru, and Ganon at the door.

"Come on, sweetheart, we brought our own food," Ren growled, holding up two bags of regular chips.

"You must all be out of your _minds _if you think you're getting in here," Alexis snapped. "Completely cra – you know what? The only one of you who isn't completely bonkers is _Nabooru_."

Ganon was about to open his mouth to reply, but another guest stepped forward to stop him.

"Hold on, let me handle this," the guest said as she stepped forward.

Alexis groaned the moment she saw her. "What the hell, Uzuki? _You _brought them here?"

"Look, I've already accepted them as _my _responsibility," Uzuki replied. "If anything happens, it's my fault, okay? And then I'll kill these idiots later if they cause any trouble-" she glared at Ganon and Shade, "- right, boys?"

Shade and Ganon nodded together.

Alexis let out a sigh. She scratched her head as she thought about it. ". . . Okay, fine, but I swear to god you only get _one chance_. Ganon, Shade, stay away from Link and Zelda, you hear me?"

"As if I'd want to hang around him here," Ganon sneered.

"We kinda want to _enjoy _this party, thank you," Shade added.

Alexis rolled her eyes and stepped aside. The two boys and three girls walked inside, and quickly found their place amongst the crowd.

Alexis sighed again, but then left for her bedroom, which she kept locked from the outside. She unlocked and opened the door and stepped inside to the dimly-lit room. She smiled when she saw Nyla pacing around a small, obstacle-clear area of the room.

"Hey there, you're going to make yourself dizzy!" Alexis laughed.

"I'm _nervous_," Nyla whispered as she came to a stop near Alexis' voice. "What if they don't like me?"

Alexis pulled Nyla into a hug. "And why wouldn't they like you?"

"I'm not really good around people," Nyla said.

"Well, they're all very nice and friendly," Alexis assured her. "You're going to have a great time."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now come on." Alexis took Nyla's hand. "Let's go watch a movie."

* * *

Everyone gathered together on the couch and chairs as Alexis stepped forward to the front of the room, Nyla following close behind.

"Who's the little girl?" Zelda asked curiously.

"Everyone, this is my cousin, Nyla," Alexis said. She saw Kafei to the side, a wide smile on his face; he was the only one who knew the truth, and Alexis wanted to keep it that way. "She has a sight disability, so she can't see like the rest of us, but she's a very nice person and she'll be helping me set up the movie. I want all of you to get along with her, okay?"

The group of teenagers smiled and showed a lot of friendly interest in Nyla. Even Ganon looked a little heart-warmed.

"Okay, so I've got a ton of movies to pick from – thank you, Lulu, for supplying quite a few – so we're going to take a vote. And remember, we're trying to pick something _everyone _can watch."

"Let's watch a DC comic movie!" Shade shouted.

Link sneered in disgust. "Are you kidding me? Marvel is ten times better than DC!"

"Stanley Kubrick!" someone else yelled out.

"Ew, the director responsible for that godawful Stephen King movie?"

"Or, you know, the director responsible for _A Clockwork Orange_!" Mikau chimed in angrily.

Uzuki smirked and leaned over to Link. "We should watch the Navidson Record," she snickered.

Link stared at her. "Am I supposed to know what that is?"

Uzuki scowled. "You disgust me."

The suggestions and arguing continued.

"Paranormal Activity!"

"Batman!"

"An American Girl!"

"Ted!"

As the suggestions poured in, Uzuki whistled loudly to catch everybody's attention, and then she stepped forward to the front of the room so everyone could see her.

"Why don't we just watch a Disney movie?" she said. "They're funny, but are still _super _suspenseful and they have enough sexual innuendos for us to all get a kick out of."

Everyone seemed to like that idea, so Uzuki turned to Alexis and asked, "What Disney movies do you have?"

Alexis checked the cupboard that her TV was sitting n. "I've got . . . _Atlantis, Up, Bolt, The Lion King, The Incredibles, Bambi, Lady and the Tramp_, and _Tangled."_

"Please, no Tangled," Uzuki groaned. "I know that movie off by heart. Back when I lived with my family, it was like crack for my sister. If I watch it one more time, I think I'm going to puke."

Alexis laughed. "Okay then, no Tangled."

"Bolt is kind of a low-caliber Disney movie," Mikau said. "In other words, it's a piece of crap out there just for the money. I don't really care for it."

"Lion King has been overdone," Mido sighed.

"Lady and the Tramp and Bambi are both _way _too old," Link said. "Classics, but old."

Alexis looked at Lulu. "Do you have any Disney movies on you?"

Lulu reached down to the duffel bag next to her chair and dug through it. "Toy Story, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, Wall-E, and Finding Nemo."

Link beamed. "I _love _Finding Nemo!"

Zelda smiled too. "Yeah, it's great; and I haven't seen it in _years_."

"Anyone else like Finding Nemo?" Alexis asked everyone.

The group buzzed with excitement.

"I'll take that as a yes, then." After Lulu passed it to her, Alexis popped the DVD disc into the player below the TV. After a bit of fast-forwarding through trailers, Alexis finally landed on the menu and pressed [PLAY].

Alexis and Nyla sat down together with Kafei on the bean bag couch.

"Do you need me to describe the movie for you?" Alexis whispered to Nyla.

"I've seen it before," Nyla said confidently. "But thanks."

Alexis smiled warmly and curled up with Nyla on the chair as the movie began. The group watched the beautiful animated colors on the screen as the opening scene began.

"Cause yeah, five hundred kids isn't a lot," Shade snickered aloud as they watched. The group laughed a little too, including Nyla. It was only a minute before Shade spoke up again. "It's funny how much he wants to get laid right now. Come on, you've already got five _hundred _kids about to be born; sure, what's five hundred more?"

"That's wonderful, Shade," Link said sarcastically.

"Hey Nabooru, how does a fax machine work?"

"Shade, shut up!"

". . . _Magic . . ._"

Nyla giggled at Shade's humor.

"See, Link?" Shade laughed. "_She's _got a sense of humor."

"She's half your age," Link growled. Shade didn't say anything more.

After about twenty minutes, Uzuki got up. "I'm sure no one will mind if I make some popcorn?"

"Microwave is next to the fridge," Alexis said. "Help yourself."

Uzuki walked across the front of the room, passing between the students and the TV. As she got closer to the screen, the image from the movie distorted and fuzzed.

"Whoa, Uzuki!' Zelda exclaimed. "Back away before you break Alexis' television!"

"Sorry, sorry," Uzuki apologized as she quickly scurried past into the kitchen.

As the group watched the movie, they could hear the popcorn popping loudly from the kitchen, and they could smell the sweet scent of butter floating through the air.

"It smells really good," Nyla said.

"We'll make a bag just for you, okay?" Alexis replied.

When Uzuki was done making popcorn, there were five bags for the group cooked, plus a bag just for Nyla, with Kafei and Alexis sharing a bag.

"Enjoying yourself?" Alexis asked Kafei.

"This was a great idea," Kafei said. "A lot more people showed up than I thought."

Alexis giggled lightly. "Tell me about it. But it still worked out well."

"And I'm sure Nyla is happy," Kafei whispered, gesturing a gaze in Nyla's direction, who was curled up to Alexis, listening to the movie. "She looks like she's going to fall asleep."

"I was a little hesitant about bringing her, but . . . it wouldn't have been the same without her."

"You really do care about her, huh?"

A small, warm smile grew on Alexis' face. "She's like the sister I never had." She leaned down and hugged Nyla tightly. "How's the movie?" she asked her.

Nyla smiled. "The story has always been my favorite," she whispered. "Nemo and his dad are the only family that either of them has. And when they get separated, they're all alone in a world they don't know . . . but they make friends that help them, and when you think about it, even if they aren't siblings or cousins, they're still there for each other, like their own big family."

Nyla hugged Alexis. "Mina and I are the only family my mother has. And they're both the only family _I _have. But you take care of us. You treat us like everyone else, liek the way you treat your friends. You're a part of my family."

Alexis could feel her heart warm from beneath her skin. She smiled and pulled Nyla in close before kissing her head. "You're my little Nemo."

* * *

By the end of the movie, just as Kafei predicted, Nyla was sleeping soundly on Alexis' lap. There were empty popcorn bags stuffed into a garbage can, and Zelda was in tears and hugging Link tightly.

"Sshhh, Zelda, it was a happy ending . . ." Link hushed her in a gentle voice.

"That's _why _I'm crying," Zelda sniffled as she dabbed a few small tears away with her shirt sleeve.

Alexis gently lifted Nyla, her small arms wrapping tightly around Alexis' shoulders; Alexis used her hands to keep her up.

"I'm going to put her to bed," Alexis whispered to Kafei. She tiptoed away from the main room and to the door that led to her small bedroom. Very carefully, Alexis leaned down and set Nyla's sleeping body on the mattress. Nyla curled up on the bed, snoring lightly. Alexis pulled the blankets over her and made sure the pillows were positioned comfortably underneath her. When Nyla was all tucked in, Alexis gave her a small, light kiss on the cheek, and then left the room, shutting the door with a soft _click _behind her.

Back in the main area, the group had broken off into smaller groups, each having their own conversation about something different. Almost everyone there had brought their own food, and were now helping themselves to all of it. Alexis stepped forward to where everyone could see her at the front of the room.

"Hey, everyone," she said in a semi-loud voice. 'You're free to hang out here and party some more, but if you start drinking anything you brought, please keep it to a minimum and try not to get too reckless. Some of you can watch another movie if you want, it doesn't matter to me. Just try to keep the noise down."

Everyone nodded.

"Thanks. Now go have some fun."

* * *

"So the Magnesium atom requests of the barkeep, 'I would like to purchase a drink from this fine establishhment'," Fi said, a small smile on her face. "And the barkeep replies, 'I'm going to charge you four'. And then the Magnesium atom exclaimed, 'But I only have two!'" Fi started laughing, but her laugh was very dry and humorless, almost robotic.

Shade leaned over to mutter in Link's ear. "Dude, she's a total buzzkill. Seriously, I had a great buzz happening a few seconds ago but now it's gone. Poof."

"Tell me about it," Link grumbled back. "She might be pretty but she sure ain't a catch."

"That's a good one," Shade replied as he took another shot of rum. He and Link turned and walked away from Fi. They found where Uzuki was sitting at the kitchen table, across from Ganon, and a large piece of paper with what looked lik ea chess board drawn on it. Several shot glasses of varied sizes were scattered across the paper.

"Alright, a nice, fun round of shotglass chess," Shade said with a wide smile. "My money is on Uzuki."

"But she's so lightweight!" Link exclaimed. "Ganondorf has at _least _two hundred pounds on her!"

"Never underestimate Uzuki," Shade said darkly.

The two brothers watched the game continue. So far, Uzuki had downed six shots of vodka, four shots of rum, and a shot of whiskey; Ganon had managed five shots of vodka, six shots of rum, and from the looks of the game, Uzuki was about to get him to take the tallest glass, filled to the top with whiskey. And neither of them were drunk yet . . . but Uzuki was starting to get loopy.

"You know, Ganon, the fact that you can beat me is just . . . you're just ridiculous," Uzuki said, her words slurring together.

"Says you," Ganon sighed, feeling the effects of the alcohol as well. "You're going _down_."

"Only thing I'm going down on is your mother, sweetheart," Uzuki snickered.

The crowd "ooooh'ed" around them.

"Yeah, well, you would like that," Ganon replied.

"I love tits, sweetheart," Uzuki laughed before taking her hands and pushing her boobs up just for the fun of it.

Right after she said that, Uzuki caught Ganondorf's tallest shot glass. She handed it to him.

"I win. Drink up."

Ganon glared at her, and then took the glass out of her hand. He stared at it, shrugged his shoulders, and then drank the whole glass in one sitting. The crowd around them cheered in excitement.

"Alright, alright, good for you," Uzuki laughed. She took her tall glass of whiskey and downed it as well. The crowd cheered loudly.

Meanwhile, Mikau, Ruto, and Lulu were sitting on the couch watching another movie on Mikau's laptop. A headphone splitter allowed Lulu to attach her own headphones, while Mikau and Ruto shared Mikau's pair. They were watching _Misery_.

"You know she's the actress who played Molly from _Titanic?" _Lulu said to Mikau.

"Yeah!" Mikau exclaimed. "She does a great job in this movie, too."

"She's alright," Ruto muttered. Suddenly, Ruto started snuggling into Mikau. Mikau sat and let her do it for a few minutes, but soon Ruto lifted her head and kissed Mikau gently on the lips. Ruto returned to watching the movie; Mikau didn't say anything.

They continued to watch the movie, but they weren't as talkative as before. It was almost a deafening silence, and it was making Mikau anxious. After about a half hour of undying, painful silence, Lulu took out her headphones and got up from the couch.

"Sorry, but . . . I forgot I have some homework to get done," she said. Mikau could hear a tinge of sadness in her voice. "I guess I'll . . ." Lulu stopped, and shook her head. "It was a pleasure getting to know you, Mikau. Take care." Then she walked out without saying another word.

Mikau was speechless. But Ruto snuggled into him anyway.

"Well, more room on the couch for us," she giggled. "We didn't need her anyway." Ruto leaned into kiss Mikau again, but he quickly pulled away, a glare in his eyes. "What the hell is _wrong _with you?!" he hissed.

Ruto stared at him in shock. "W-What?"

"She left because of_ you, _Ruto," Mikau growled. "There was nothing wrong with her hanging out with us – or _me –_ but you had to go and make a big deal about it!"

"How am I making a big deal out of anything?!" Ruto snapped.

"You know _exactly _what I'm talking about, Ruto! And I can't _stand _it!"

Ruto didn't reply. Mikau took a deep breath to cool himself down.

"What's so special about her, anyway?" Ruto whispered. Mikau could hear the pain in her voice.

Mikau took another deep breath before replying, "I can _talk _to her, Ruto. We have fun conversations that we both enjoy; I just don't have those with you." Mikau could already tell where this was going; and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Well, we can . . . we can try harder at it!" Ruto begged.

Mikau stood up from the couch He shook his head at Ruto. "I'm sorry, Ruto . . . we're over." He didn't pass Ruto a glance as he walked away; he didn't want to see her sadness. He said goodbye to Link and the others, put on his boots and jacket, swung his laptop bag over his shoulder, and then finally left.

He only walked about fifty feet down the hall before he heard the sound of a door slamming; he didn't have to turn around to know it was Ruto. He kept walking, but she was following him, no doubt about that.

"That's it, then?" Mikau finally heard Ruto yell from behind him. "You're just going to walk away? For _her_? A girl you just met _today?!_"

Mikau stopped walking. "This isn't about her!" he yelled back. "This is about me realizing something . . . realizing that there are better people out there for me. Whether it's Lulu or some girl I meet ten years down the road or whoever – I know it will be someone who's better for me!"

"So I'm not _good enough _for you?!" Ruto cried.

"It's not that. We're just not meant for each other! Just like you're not the one for me, _I'm _not the one for _you_ – but you'll find that person soon, Ruto, I promise . . . even if it isn't me."

Mikau didn't say anything else after that. Ruto stood silently and completely motionless in the hallway, watching Mikau walk to the end of the hallway until she couldn't see him anymore.

* * *

"Okay, new drinking game, folks!" Uzuki announced, her voice wobbling from being slightly tipsy; it was a wonder she hadn't collapsed yet. "We need everyone's help for this one though!"

She sat Link, Shade, Ganon, Ren, Zelda, and herself at the table in a circle.

"I saw this on TV – someone says something they never did, and a person who _has _done it has to take a drink," Uzuki explained.

"Sounds like fun . . . but do I have to take part?" Link asked. "I'm already feeling enough buzz to last me the rest of the evening. I don't want to get drunk . . ."

"Just for a couple rounds then, you pansy," Ganon exclaimed, pulling Link into a headlock and using his fist to mess up Link's hair.

"Lemme go . . . !" Link growled.

"Okay, okay, let's get this started!" Uzuki cheered. "Who wants to start?"

Shade raised his hand. "I've never had sex in the back of a car."

Ganon, Uzuki, and Ren took a drink.

"Uh . . . I've never beat up a girl," Ren said.

"Yeah, _that's _easy to believe," Link sneered.

"I still have some dignity, you know," Ren hissed.

Zelda, Uzuki, and Ganon took a drink.

"Ummm . . . I've never . . . backtalked to a teacher or staff member."

Ganon, Link, Ren, and Uzuki all took a drink.

"Geez, Zelda, you're missing out on a lot," Link snickered in a high-pitch voice.

"I've never fantasized about sleeping with Zelda," Ganon said.

"Oh, come on!" Zelda exclaimed.

Uzuki, Shade, and Link took a drink.

"Uzuki?!" Link exclaimed.

"What? I like boobs, okay?" Uzuki cried. "And Zelda, you're just so pretty . . . I can't help it . . ."

"That's hot," Ganon snickered. "And Link, I'd watch out if I were you – wouldn't want your older brother to steal your girlfriend away." He winked.

The game kept going for the next fifteen minutes, each of them taking turns and drinking when they had to. By the end of it, most people were on their first or second bottle of beer – but people were starting to gang up on Link.

"Um . . ." Shade began. They were all running out of ideas. "I've never . . . been pushed into a thorn bush."

"Ughhh . . ." Link growled, and took a sip from his beer.

"I've never . . . um . . ." Ren thought for a while, ". . . gotten over my fear of singing onstage."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Link sneered, and then took a sip from his beer.

"I've never beaten the shit out of Ganon," Shade laughed.

"Guys, quit it!" Another sip.

Suddenly, as Zelda was trying to think of something, Link started to slump over, and then fell asleep.

"Whoa, what happened?" Ganon laughed.

"Oh yeah, when he drinks a lot of alcohol, he falls asleep," Shade explained. "Which is kinda lame considering he only downed about one and a half bottles of beer and a shot of whiskey. He's not very liquor-tolerable."

"I'll say," Uzuki giggled loudly. "Even Zelda is still going!"

"Yeah, but I'm pretty woozy," Zelda laughed. "I'm going to go lay down on the couch or something . . ." At that, she stood up from the table and trudged off, flopping onto the couch when she made it over. She was completely sprawled over it; even her head was set between the armrest and the backrest of the couch, and one of her legs was balanced on the floor.

"Better do something about this lug," Ganon muttered, gesturing to Link.

"I got him," Shade replied. He got up from the table and walked over to where his brother was sitting. A pool of drool was gathering at the spot where the corner of his mouth met with the table. Shade pulled Link up and hoisted him up over his shoulder. Even with Shade being slightly shorter than Link, he was still able to carry Link pretty well, and dumped him on the couch with Zelda – who was already fast asleep by the time he got there – to let him rest.

* * *

The next morning, Link opened his eyes to be greeted by some kind of drill pounding into his skull.

"Ugh . . ." he sighed. He sat up on the couch, and saw that Zelda was sprawled on the couch with him. The pounding in his head was painful, but tolerable. "W-Where am I?" He didn't recognize the room at first, but then he remembered about the movie they had watched the night before; although he didn't remember much else, he knew that alcohol must have been involved.

"Morning, sunshine!" Alexis laughed at him.

"A-Alexis? I'm still in your room?" Link asked worriedly. "Uh, sorry . . . I didn't mean to crash last night."

"Don't worry, a few others did too, although Kafei helped most people home, seeing as he didn't get drunk last night and could actually see straight."

"I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"

"No, don't worry – you passed out halfway through your second beer."

Link sighed. "Thank god." Although he was a bit embarrassed that it only took a couple beers and a whiskey to knock him out for the night. "I'll leave in a minute here . . . just gotta get my things and stuff."

"It's okay," Alexis said. "Here-" She handed him a white pill and a glass of water, "-this will help your headache."

"Tylenol," Link said with a sigh of relief. "Great." He took a sip of water and then swallowed the pill down with it. He waited a few moments, trying to clear his head, and then looked over at Zelda, who was still sleeping soundly. "I hate having to wake up Zel, but we're going to have to get going." He leaned over Zel and shook her shoulder lightly a few times. "Zel, wake up," he said. He continued to nudge her, until her eyes finally opened.

"W-Wha – oh, good morning, Link," she said in a soft, tired voice. She noticed Alexis standing by the couch, looking at her, and gave her a confused look. ". . . Alexis? What are you doing in my room?"

"You're in _my _room, silly!" Alexis giggled. "The party last night? You went to the couch to sleep at one point and, well, here you are."

"Oh yeah . . ." Zelda yawned. "I forgot all about that . . ." Zelda lumbered off the couch and tried to stretch, but it was difficult to do so without falling over. She stood still for a few minutes until her head cleared a bit more – still a bit hazy, but better than it was starting off – and then started the hunt for her jacket and other things she brought with her. Link and Zelda both looked around the room together until they had located their jackets, shoes, and other belongings. Link hadn't really brought anything extra with him besides his phone, but Zelda had brought her shoulder bag, which had a lot of her things in it, including make-up, a hairbrush, her cellphone, her license, and a pair of sunglasses.

"Feh, women," Link scoffed with a sly smirk on his face.

"At least I'm prepared for anything," Zelda replied, sticking her tongue at him.

Link stretched out his arms. "Okay, let's get back to our own dorms, before our hangovers completely destroy us. I need a nap."

"_Hangover_," Zelda sneered as she walked out the door with Link. "You barely drank anything!" She poked him playfully. "You baby."

Link ignored her, and then waved goodbye to Alexis. "Thanks so much for inviting us, Alexis! We'll see you around." And at that, Link and Zelda left the room.

Alexis let out a sigh, standing alone as she examined her room. It wasn't as messy as she thought it would be – a couple popcorn bags and beer bottles were on the floor, but other than that, it was pretty clean for a room that had just been housing over ten drunks the night before. But at least some people stayed away from the alcohol.

Alexis checked the time on her watch; it was nearly eight-thirty in the morning.

_I've gotta be getting Nyla home_, Alexis thought to herself as she began to pick up the few pieces of trash that were sitting around. After a quick tidy of the dorm room – she would clean up more when she came back from dropping Nyla off – she crept to the bedroom and stepped inside, where Nyla was still sleeping soundly on the bed. She quietly walked in and gently sat down on the mattress. Nyla's sleeping face was peaceful, and she looked like she was having some good dreams.

_I hate to wake her . . . _Alexis rubbed the hair out of Nyla's face, and then started to nudge her gently. "Nyla, wake up," she whispered. "It's time to wake up now."

Nyla didn't stir for a few moments, but eventually she started to awake. She opened her eyes, and recognized Alexis by the feel of her hand and the sound of her voice.

_She's probably never seen the light of morning,_ Alexis thought sadly.

"Morning," Nyla whispered.

"Morning," Alexis repeated to her, a smile on her face. "Are you ready to go home? We're going to take the bus in."

Nyla nodded. "Okay."

* * *

The bus ride was filled with laughter and fun conversations. Alexis sat on the bench seat with Nyla. She was carrying a red balloon, a treat that Alexis had bought for her at a local balloon stand. It was a bright red, and floated happily above Nyla's head.

"I had so much fun last night," Nyla giggled.

"You sure slept soundly," Alexis replied. "Some of the boys were pretty loud last night. I'm surprised they didn't wake you."

"I haven't slept that well in . . . well, I can't remember the last time I slept that well," Nyla said. "It was so comfy . . . and I felt so good when I woke up."

"Yeah, it's great to get some good sleep; it really does wonders," Alexis said.

Nyla smiled and nodded.

When the bus came to a stop a few blocks away from Nyla's neighborhood, Alexis helped Nyla off the bus, and they began to walk downstreet, Nyla holding Alexis' hand with one hand and clutching the string of her red balloon with the other. They continued to talk as they walked along the sidewalk, until they made it to where Nyla lived.

When they made it to her home, Alexis stopped walking, and so did Nyla. Grief swept over Alexis' heart when she saw the home that Nyla would have to return to. It almost seemed like a dark cloud was constantly sitting over this place, never letting any sunshine or signs of life through. But there _were _people living here – a family of three, including the blind girl standing right next to her.

"Are we here?" Nyla asked.

"Y-Yes," Alexis stammered, breaking out of her thought patterns. "Come on, let's go." She walked into the house, squeezing Alexis' hand tighter than before. Something seemed off. She couldn't tell what it was, but . . . she could tell something was amiss.

"Nyla . . . stay close to me, okay?" Alexis told Nyla.

"O-Okay . . ." Nyla replied, replying to Alexis with her own tight squeeze from her hand.

Alexis slowly opened the door, and stepped inside.

She almost lost her breakfast when she saw the sight sitting a few feet away.

"Nyla . . . let's go. Now." Alexis voice was tense with fear, paranoia, and shock.

"Alexis? What's wrong?" Nyla asked.

"Go _now,_ Nyla!" Alexis yelled.

But Nyla didn't listen. She pushed past Alexis, and started calling for her mother.

"Mom! _Mom!" _she called. She only had to walk in a few feet before her nose caught a horrid stench.

The scent of blood.

She clamped her hands over her mouth and nose so that the scent wouldn't get in, but it insisted on invading her head.

"W-Why is there blood?!" Nyla gagged. "Where's my mom?!"

Alexis could barely form the words to speak. She was still in shock over the sight in front of them, and she was almost thankful that Nyla was blind . . . blind to the sight of the mutilated bodies of her mother and baby sister laying just a few feet away. They were both laying in a semi-fresh pool of dark red blood, and the room was stained with bloody hand and footprints. The entire room was trashed – what they had for furniture had been torn up so bad it seemed like a cougar had been let loose inside, and the dishes were all smashed into a million pieces on the floor. Even the window near the kitchen had been smashed to bits. But the worst part was the smell – the smell of blood and death seemed to loom over the room like a thick curtain, and it was enough to make Alexis' stomach churn. She wondered how Nyla was able to stand it; she knew that the little blind girl standing in front of her had a stronger sense of smell, and would probably be more shocked considering she couldn't see, completely blind to what was going on . . . yet, she just stood there, her sneakers getting stained from standing in the pool of blood, and looked down at where she could smell the blood the strongest.

Nyla must have blacked out, because the next thing Alexis knew, she was falling, and Alexis was relieved she was fast enough to catch her before she hit the ground.

_Mom . . ._

* * *

**Kind of a gruesome chapter but it's not the first time I've had a chapter like this o wo" Especially considering it was all fun and happy and then went downhill pretty quickly, but I'd like to stretch a bit more on the relationship between Nyla and Alexis ^ ^" So apologies if you guys didn't like this chapter cause of the ending bit, but things do get a bit happier down the road for those two ^ ^" AND I APOLOGIZE TO THE MEN READING THIS IF YOU SHED SOME MANLY TEARS (probably not lol) **

**I'll hopefully have the next chapter up soon guys ^ ^ **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**


	48. Exams

**Hey everyone, **

**So this chapter was uploaded in a decent amount of time ^ ^" Also, if you don't already know, I started up a Twitter account with updates for new chapters and other stuff going on, and the link to my Twitter can be found on my profile (or you can search it at ShiniZelsama) :) So yeah, just thought I'd throw that out there in case any of you are interested ^ ^ I'll be announcing new chapters, giving the links to the chapters when they become active on the website, taking in ideas from the readers (you!), posting artwork if I ever get any done, and overall, keeping you updated on stuff both OCL and non-OCL that tends to get overlooked from my profile (cause I know my profile is the last thing people tend to look at). **

**Other than that, I hope you enjoy this chapter! There are a bit of feels in this chapter too, but I know you're all brave enough to overcome it :) Enjoy! 3**

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love **

**Chapter 48: Exams**

The room was dark when Nyla walked in. The air was cold, and there was a strange smell in the air.

"Mom?" she called. It was morning, and she wanted to give her mother a god morning kiss, as she did every morning.

Nyla made her way through the kitchen. She soon found her mother, sleeping on the couch.

"Good morning, Mom!" Nyla said cheerfully as she skipped over to the couch. She poked her mother's face. "Come on, wake up!" She kissed her mother's cheek, but she didn't move.

"Mom . . . ?" Nyla took her mother's hand; it was cold and heavy. "Mom . . . wake up . . . ! Wake up!"

* * *

"Come on, Nyla, wake up!"

Nyla's eyes fluttered open. She stared in Alexis' direction, and then sat up in her bed.

"You looked like you were having a bad dream," Alexis sighed. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes . . ." Nyla choked, trying not to think about the hazy recollections of her dreams that were slowly trying to creep back into her thoughts.

"It's been two weeks," Alexis said. "You're still having nightmares?"

Nyla nodded.

Alexis sighed again. "I don't like leaving you alone, but I have exams today and tomorrow. Link doesn't have an exam until this afternoon, so he's going to watch you while I'm writing. Then I'll be home for the rest of the afternoon. As for tomorrow . . . I don't like it, but Uzuki is going to have to watch you."

"O-Okay . . ." Nyla said.

"Are you _sure _you're going to be alright" Alexis asked.

Nyla hesitated, but then smiled. "Yes, I'll be fine."

Alexis bent down and hugged her tightly. "Okay. You make sure to be good for Link!"

"I will," Nyla replied.

"Good. I'll see you when I get home." Alexis hugged her again. "Link should be here shortly. I'll send him a text message on my way to the school if I don't see him. Take care."

And at that, Alexis grabbed her bag and left the room, locking it behind her. As she walked down the hallway, she spotted Link heading in her direction.

"Ah, there you are," Alexis greeted him. "Nyla's back in the room."

"Okay. You got a key so I can get in?" Link asked.

Alexis dropped a little metal key into Link's hand. "There's plenty of food in the kitchen, so help yourselves. If you have any trouble, give Malon a call."

Alexis was about to walk away, but Link stopped her.

"You know you can't keep hiding her away in the dorm room forever, right?" Link whispered to her. "I know you don't like it, but you're going to have to put her somewhere safe. An orphanage or a foster home or something . . ."

"I can't do that, Link," Alexis snapped. "At least not right now . . . she can't just go through the turmoil of finding her only family dead on the floor of her own house and then get dumped into a home with a bunch of strangers that she can't trust."

Link sighed. "Well, we can't keep her at the school too long. She'll be found eventually, and you can't just keep her locked up in your room; it's not healthy for her, especially after an experience like that.

"I know, Link, and I'm trying my hardest to think of a solution. I gotta go, alright? Don't forget, if you have any trouble, just give Malon a call."

"Okay," Link replied. They passed each other in the hall, Link heading toward the dorm room and Alexis heading to the door at the end of the hall.

When Link made it to the door, he opened it with the key Alexis had given him, and stepped inside. Nyla _was_ sitting on the couch, staring at the black television screen. Link could see her ears twitch slightly, probably reacting to the sound of him stepping into the room and shutting the door.

"Hey there, Nyla," Link greeted her. "How are you?"

Nyla turned her head slightly in his direction, but her eyes still strayed. " . . . Alright."

"That's good. Alexis asked me to watch you for a few hours, until her exam for today is done. Do you remember me? I'm one of Alexis' friends, from her movie day just last week."

"I know," Nyla replied. "You're Link."

"Yeah," Link answered. "So, uh, what do you want to do?" _How much can you do with a blind girl? _he thought grimly to himself.

"It doesn't matter to me," she sighed.

Link could see it. He could see the sadness shrouding around her like fog; he didn't blame her either. He walked over to the couch and sat down next to her, and started staring at the black TV screen with her.

"I'm sure there's something fun we could do," Link said. "Something to keep your mind off things."

"How am I supposed to keep my mind off things?" Nyla gasped. "My mother . . . my little sister . . ." She started to choke up.

"Sshh, sshh, it's alright," Link hushed, putting a gentle hand on her back to comfort her. "It's alright to be sad." Link could actually feel his own emotions welling up inside of him.

"You don't understand . . ." Nyla cried. "You don't understand what it's like!"

"Well, I can try to," Link offered. "You wanna know a bit about my own family, Nyla?"

"Why should I care about your stupid family?" she cried. "At least you _have_ a family!"

"I do, but I don't," Link said. He took a deep breath. "Back when I was a kid, I lived with my mom, dad, and my two brothers, Shade and Oni. My dad was always working, so we never saw him much, but our mom loved us, and she was always looking out for us. The three of us – Shade, Oni, and I – loved her just like three brothers should love their mom.

"But time passed, and we noticed she wasn't as happy as she usually was. Dad was home less and less, and she seemed really lonely. We tried our best to comfort her, but even our love couldn't lift the heavy feeling she had. I know Shade and Oni couldn't, but I could especially tell what was on her mind, even without her telling me – it's a "gift" I have, I guess.

"Anyway, Dad eventually left completely. Shade and I were there when it happened, but Oni was at the library studying at the time; bound to be home any minute. It was eight in the evening, if I remember correctly, and we were all nine years old. Shade and I could hear our dad's voice, so we got excited that he had finally come home, and went down to greet him.

"We ran downstairs, and we found our dad standing there, with another woman held close to him, his arm around her waist. Mom was just standing there, shaking, and trying not to cry. It explained why he had been gone all those nights; turns out, he had been cheating on mom, and was finally coming out to tell the truth – that he and that woman were leaving town and getting married. Then he just dropped the divorce papers right at my mom's feet. I was horrified that my own father could do something that cruel to my mom – after all, what had she done to deserve something like that, a woman who was always so compassionate and gave nothing but love?

"I must have snapped or something because the next thing I knew I was charging down the stairs and kicking him. I yelled at him, called him names, even swore a few words that a nine-year-old really shouldn't know. I wanted him to apologize to mom, and to get rid of the dumb woman at his side and make things right.

"But he didn't. He didn't apologize to anyone that night. He just shooed me aside, and then told my mom to move on. And that was it. He walked out the door, leaving Shade, my mother and I in a state of tears and anger. Oni came home an hour later to find us like this, and when he had found out what had happened, he didn't say anything – he just took his bags and walked up to his room, and didn't come out for three days.

"Things only continued to go downhill from there. About a week of depression and sadness, my mother committed suicide; she killed herself by overdosing on prescription medication, or something, I dunno. The guys that did the autopsy didn't tell us much, us being kids and all. Anyway, we were to live with our dad because he had custody over us, after our mother's death. We moved in with him and stayed with him for about a month or so. It was awful living with him. He wasn't bad to us at all, but he didn't have the same kind of attention for us as our mother did – and after what he did to our mom, we certainly didn't want to be around him. We blamed him for our mom's death; if he hadn't left her for another woman, she would have never killed herself. I don't even know today if I would still blame him, but we sure wanted to kill him back then for taking our mother's life.

"Things really got bad when our dad said he was taking us out to visit our uncle Blake. I was excited to see my uncle – I knew him quite well, and he was always fun to hang out with, and I thought it would be a great way to keep my mind off things, and to hang around with a family member other than my dad and his wife. The three of us each had our own bag of clothes, because we were staying the night, and even dad had a few bags with him; one for himself, and one for his wife.

"We stayed at Blake's that night. We had a ton of fun . . . at least, the three of us and our uncle did. Our dad kinda just sat back with his wife, as usual. We were in bed by ten, and we slept like rocks. Things were great for the first time in a long time . . . but once again, things turned rotten. I woke up early to hear my uncle _screaming _downstairs. I could hear him shouting and roaring at something, so I snuck downstairs to investigate. He was on the phone, shouting into the mouthpiece, but I didn't know who he was talking to . . . at least, not yet.

"My uncle just kept screaming things like, 'What the hell is wrong with you' and 'you can't just abandon them'. It was at that point that my head started to put two and two together, but I didn't want to be right. I crept back upstairs and checked the room where my dad and his wife were supposed to be sleeping – but they were gone. All that was sitting there were their bags, filled with _our _clothes.

"Suddenly, everything fell into place. My dad hadn't taken us here to stay for the weekend with my uncle for visiting purposes; he had brought us here so that he could leave us here, and even packed extra bags for us which he had passed off as his own. Before even Blake had woken up, Dad and his wife were long gone, and Blake had woken up to find a note next to his bedside explaining the situation. Afterwards, Blake had called his brother to tell him off. That was the only time I've ever seen Blake that angry . . . he wasn't angry that we had been stuck with him or he had to look after us now, because he loved us just as much as our own mother did. He was angry because his brother – his own flesh and blood – had abandoned his own children when they needed him most, and instead of braving the challenge alone, he had decided to run off with his wife.

"Things were never the same after that. Shade had always been a pain in the ass before, but now he just didn't care about anything, and always seemed to go looking for trouble. Oni kept up his studies, and managed to skip a few grades and get to university by the time he was seventeen; that's why he's in university and Shade and I are still in high school. As for me . . ." Link took a deep breath. He wasn't used to talking about what had happened, especially with someone that he barely knew, but he felt he could connect more to this young girl, who had lost everything, more than he could to anyone else. ". . . I just slipped into the background, being the middle ground. Sometimes being troublesome like Shade, but still trying my best like Oni. No one really paid much attention to me before, and I kind of wanted to keep it that way. There's nothing overly special about me – except for my "gift" I guess – but I'm happy with who I am. The guy who I am has two great brothers, awesome friends, the most perfect woman a guy could ever ask for, and a life that had a few rocky patches to start, but got better as it went. I can't complain now that things are finally starting to get better."

_I'm also a guy who has nothing better to do but __tell an eight year old girl my childlife problems, _Link thought with a sigh. _She probably thinks I'm lying or something just to make her feel better._

But Nyla reacted differently. She leaned over, looking for him, and then when she did find him, she hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

Link was surprised by her reaction.

"Hey, it's okay," Link replied. "It's not like any of it is your fault; besides, it happened years ago."

Nyla didn't reply at first. Then, she let out a sigh, and asked, "How did you ever get over it?"

Link looked at her. "Hmm?"

"How did you ever get over your mother's death? And your father abandoning you?"

Link let out a long sigh, thinking over her question. He shrugged his shoulders, and replied, "I dunno, but eventually I just . . . let go. I knew moping around wasn't going to bring my mother back, or my family together again. Oni had moved on, and while Shade was still causing trouble, he was at least keeping himself occupied. I eventually told myself that I had to move on too, for my sake, and for my mother's as well. I didn't want her worrying about me, wherever she was, so I had to make sure I tried my hardest to make myself happy again, and to make her happy so that her death wouldn't have been in vain."

Link didn't know if he should have been telling a girl so young this . . . it was hard to believe that he had been near her age when he had lost almost everything he knew, save for his brothers and his uncle.

"All I can say, Nyla, is that it's okay to be sad now. No one's asking you to be happy right away, so take your time. But just remember, your mother and your little sister would have wanted you to lead a happy life . . . even if they can't be in your life right now."

Nyla's eyes started to well up with tears. She sniffled a little, and wiped her nose with the sleeve of the shirt she was wearing; one of Alexis' shirts, which was rather large on her.

"You're right . . . it's just . . . they were the only family I had," Nyla sniffled. "I don't know what to do . . . I don't want to be all alone . . . !"

"You're not alone, though," Link replied. "You have Alexis. And me. And all of Alexis' friends. Sure, we're not much, but you're certainly not alone."

Nyla wiped her nose again, and nodded. "I know. It's just hard."

"Don't worry, things will get better – I promise."

Link looked at the clock – only 20 minutes had passed, and he wanted to make the day at least somewhat cheerful for Nyla before he had to leave for his afternoon exam.

"Hey, how about we go out for some hot chocolate or something?" Link asked her. "I'll take you anywhere you want to go. I'm open to anything."

Nyla sat there, thinking. "I've never had a donut before!" she exclaimed.

"There's a cafe downstreet that serves _awesome _donuts," Link said with a smile. "We'll just buy a whole box and pig out, okay?"

Nyla nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please!" she cheered.

* * *

"One box of twelve donuts, please," Link said to the woman at the counter. "Make it three sprinkles, six chocolate dips, and three cream-filled. A little box of ten mini's, all jelly, and two hot chocolates, both with whipped topping and chocolate drizzle."

"Are you two having a donut party?" the cashier asked with a smile as she rang the orders in.

"Yes, ma'am!" Nyla said happily, poking her head up over the counter. She was eight, but still rather short for her age, and could only get her head over the counter.

"Is this cute one your sister?" the cashier asked Link.

"Ah, no . . . a cousin, actually," Link replied.

Nyla looked up at Link with her white eyes. "Um . . . yeah, a cousin," she repeated with a smile.

When the hot chocolate was ready, it was put into a tray for Link to carry, and he also carried the box of donuts, leaving Nyla to carry the box of mini jelly donuts.

"Thanks again," Link said to the woman after paying the money.

"Thanks!" Nyla said, bowing slightly in thanks.

"You two have fun now!" the woman replied with a smile.

Link and Nyla stepped out into the brisk winter air, the snow nipping at their face as it fell gently from the sky. The snowflakes were gentle and soft as they fell, but still cold enough to send chills through their skin.

"Okay, stay close to me, Nyla," Link said. Link's hands weren't free because he had to hold onto the donuts and hot chocolate, so Nyla held her little box of mini donuts with one hand and held onto Link's arm with her other.

Link walked Nyla down the sidewalk, and turned a few corners until they made it back to the school. They went in the direction of the girls' dorm room and went inside. The warmth of the indoor heating reached their bones quickly, and the chill that used to be nipping at their skin ceased to exist.

When they made it back to Alexis' room, Link used the key to get inside. They took off their boots and jackets, and then sat down on the couch in front of the television.

"Okay, so, um . . ." Link began. "This is kind of awkward but . . . I'm not really that skilled at handling people with, uh . . . sight disabilities."

Nyla smiled. "I'm blind, Link, but I'm not disabled. It's fine. How about we watch a movie?"

"Uh, sure," Link replied. He went over to the TV set to check the DVD's that Alexis had on her. "How about . . . hmm . . ."

"Didn't Alexis say she had _Up_?" Nyla asked. "Let's watch that! Alexis has told me about it, but I've never been able to actually watch it."

"Sure thing, I haven't seen that movie yet either," Link replied. He pulled the _Up _movie case out from the shelf of movies below the TV and then popped the disc into the DVD. Once he was at the main menu and hit the [P L A Y] button, he sat back on the couch with Nyla, the box of donuts between them and the hot chocolates in their hands.

"Do you want me to describe the movie for you?" Link asked Nyla.

"I should be fine. I'm pretty good at getting the general idea from the dialogue. Not to mention, Alexis explained the basic plot to me already," Nyla said.

"Okay."

They watched for a few minutes, but so far, no dialogue.

_Oh great, one of those silent protagonists, _Link thought. _I can't stand silent protagonists. _

"Uh, Alexis, I think I'm going to have to describe this for you . . . the kid doesn't talk," Link muttered.

"Um . . . okay," Nyla replied before taking a bite from a sprinkle donut.

So for the next few minutes, Link sat there describing the movie as best as he could to Nyla. Link enjoyed the storyline so far, but it got depressing pretty fast, and he felt his heart wrench near the end of the opening segment.

"This story got really sad really fast," Nyla said sadly.

"Leave it to Disney to give you the feels," Link muttered.

They continued to watch the movie, and it did get funnier and a bit more cheery as it went on. Nyla's giggles and laughter really warmed up Link's heart, even more than the hot chocolate and the donuts. By the time Alexis was home, Link and Nyla had finished the movie and had almost finished off all the donuts, but they were both stuffed.

"I'll never be able to eat another donut again," Nyla groaned.

Alexis smiled when she saw the two of them, stuffed with donuts, laying on the couch and having a conversation.

"Hey, you two," she greeted them.

"Hey," Link replied. "How did the exam go?"

"It was alright," Alexis said. "Chemistry really isn't my thing though." She went over and poked Nyla in the belly. "Did Link stuff you with donuts?" she giggled.

"We watched _Up_," Nyla replied. "It was fun."

"I'm glad you two had so much fun," Alexis giggled. "Link, don't you have an exam this afternoon?"

"In about a half hour, yeah," Link said. "I'd better get going."

"Did you get any studying done at all?" Alexis asked worriedly.

Link chuckled. "Nah, it's just English, nothing I really have to study for that I don't already know." He patted Nyla's head. "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" Nyla cheered, and found Link so that she could give him a big hug. "I know you can do it!"

"Thanks," Link replied. "Alright, see you later, Alexis. Good luck on the rest of your exams."

"You too."

* * *

For the next week, Link and the rest of his friends took their exams. It was a stressful week, for some more than others, but they all managed to pull through, and were more relieved that exams were over than what their grades would be; that would be something they'd worry about later, after a day of relaxation.

After her last exam, Zelda laid down on the couch and stared at the ceiling, completely drained from all the studying she had done in preparation for exams, but completely relieved that all of her exams had gone okay.

She must have dozed off, because the next thing she knew, someone was knocking on her door and she was forcing herself to wake up and walk over to answer it.

When she answered the door, she found Link standing there with a box of mini donuts, a small paper bag, and two cups of hot chocolate.

"You made it out alive, I see," Link said with a smile.

"Yeah, I did," Zelda giggled. She started to rub the tired feeling out of her eyes. "I fell asleep."

"Oh, sorry if I woke you up," Link apologized.

"No, it's fine, I'm happy to see you . . . and the hot chocolate and donuts. Come on in."

Link walked into the room and took his boots off at the door. He hung his jacket over the doorknob, and then went to sit down with Zelda on the couch where she had just been sleeping a few minutes earlier.

"Feeling a little less stressed now?" Link asked.

"Please, I've been feeling less stressed since about _that _time," Zelda snickered, giving him a wink.

Link smiled. "Now _that _is good to hear." Link handed her the paper bag. "Here, I got you something extra special."

Zelda took the bag and looked inside to see a chocolate dip donut . . . except it was shaped like a heart, and had red and white sprinkles over the top.

"Oh my god," Zelda giggled. "You are so _cheesy_."

"Go on, try it," Link said.

Zelda smiled and took a bite from it. She was surprised by the sudden sweet taste coming from it. She took a look at where she had bitten to see a red jelly coming out from it. "Oh my god, raspberry filling?"

"Yep," Link said with a smile. "Pretty good, huh?"

"It's _delicious!" _Zelda exclaimed, taking another bite from it. When she was near the end of the donut, she kept a little bit of the middle which still had some jelly in it, and put it in between her teeth, holding it gently in her mouth. Then she crawled over and kissed Link, passing the donut to him with her mouth.

Link laughed and happily took the piece of donut. "It's even more delicious that way."

Zelda smiled, and kissed Link again before leaning back on the couch and grabbing her hot chocolate to take a sip from it.

"You know, exams are a lot more tolerable if I get stuff like heart-shaped donuts, delicious hot chocolate, and _you_," Zelda giggled, winking again.

"Drink your hot chocolate, Zel," Link said, rolling his eyes.

Zelda did, after blowing Link a kiss from her side of the couch.

They had a pretty fun conversation in between eating their donuts, talking about what they would do after school was over, how they would spend their few days of weekend break after exams, and what Zelda was going to do for her Judo club. But in the midst of all the discussion they were having, something was still nagging at Link's mind; the story of his childhood that he had told Nyla, but never told Zelda. Telling it to Nyla was easy, seeing as she could relate to the experience, but he had no idea how he was going to have the courage to tell Zelda.

They shared the last mini donut the same way they had shared the last piece of Zelda's heart donut. When Zelda had sat back down, Link poked her with his foot.

"I have . . . something I have to tell you," Link began to say. "Something I probably should have told you a long time ago."

"What is it?" Zelda asked, a slight edge of nervousness in her voice.

And at that, Link began to tell his story.


	49. Que Sera

**Hey everyone, **

**I'm glad I was able to get this chapter up in a decent amount of time, although I wasn't able to do anything much last week due to a trip for a competition ^ ^""" And I have exams this week, so I don't know how much I'll get done on chapter 50, but here's chapter 49 until then! I'll keep you all posted on my twitter feed ( ShiniZelSama) as to when the next chapter should be out, but until then, enjoy Chapter 49 of OCL! ^ ^ **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 49: Que Sera**

_A few days earlier_

Uzuki was watching her favorite program on TV when her cellphone buzzed beside her. The screen of the phone was snowy and full of static, so she couldn't make out the caller ID, but she picked it up anyway.

"Hello? Alex, I swear if this is you, I'll-"

"Uzuki, it's me! Alexis!' Alexis said.

"Oh, hey, Alexis," Uzuki replied, a bit calmer now. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"Uzuki, I need you to do me a huge favor," Alexis began. "You don't have exams so you should be free, right?"

"Depends on what the favor is," Uzuki muttered. "Whatever it is will determine whether I'm free or not free."

"I need you to watch after Nyla while I'm writing my exam today."

"I'm sorry, the number you are trying to call is not available at the time. Please leave a message after the beep. Beep."

"Uzuki, please!" Alexis yelled.

"Alexis, I don't like kids! They cry, they wet themselves . . . and _this _one is _blind! _I've dealt with blind people before but they were at least over the age of twelve!"

"Nyla's very well-behaved," Alexis pressed. "I swear, if you put a movie in front of her, you won't know she's there!"

Uzuki sighed. ". . . Your place or mine?"

"It doesn't matter to me."

Uzuki's end went silent for a moment, but she eventually replied, "I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Thanks so much, Uzuki!" Alexis said happily. "I owe you one!"

"Yeah, yeah, just don't expect this to become a habit, you hear?" Uzuki sneered.

"No problem! See you in ten!"

* * *

"Uzuki, Nyla. Nyla, Uzuki," Alexis introduced the two girls who were standing directly across from each other.

"Pleased to meet you," Nyla said politely.

"Yeah, same to you," Uzuki muttered.

Alexis grabbed her textbook and school bag. "I'll be back in a couple hours. There's food in the fridge and an extr room key you can use hanging on the key rack behind the edoor. Have a good time, you two!"

"Bye," Nyla and Uzuki said together.

When Alexis left, Uzuki let out a sigh. "Well, uh . . . I'm not really used to ooking after kids, so . . . what do you want to do?"

"I . . . might just go take a nap," Nyla whispered.

Uzuki was thankful the girl was blind so she couldn't see her rolling her eyes. "Alrgiht,well, I'll be here if you need anything. Need any help getting to hte bedroom?"

"I'll just sleep on the couch," Nyla replied before trudging over to where she remembered the couch was and flopping down onto the cushions.

Uzuki waited a few minutes to see if Nyla was seriously going to sleep. After a few minutes of no response, Uzuki grabbed her sketchbook from where she had set it on the table and made herself comfortable on Alexis' bean bag chair. She opened her black sketchbook to a new page and began to sketch.

After a few minutes, Nyla turned her face towards the sound of the pencil sketching. "What's that?"

"I'm drawing," Uzuki mumbled. "Keep still, I can't draw you if you're moving."

"You're drawing me?" Nyla asked excitedly.

"_Keep still_."

"Ah, sorry."

Nyla kept still in her sleeping position while Uzuki sketched her. She listened to the scraping sound of Uzuki's pencil against the paper, and the sound of the hands of the clock ticking by. Time passed slowly for Nyla, and just as she found herself on the brink of falling asleep, Uzuki poked her with the eraser end of her pencil.

"Wakey wakey," she muttered. "I'm done."

Nyla's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up on the couch. Uzuki brought the drawing over to her, and handed it to Nyla. The paper was thick, and had a cobblestone texture to it.

"But . . ." Nyla sighed. "I can't see it . . ."

"Run your hand over it," Uzuki told her.

Nyla did as she was told, running her small hand slowly down the rough surface of the paper. She didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, but soon her hand found itself running over deep lines and grooves that had been drawn very heavily into the paper. As she followed the lines, she drew the image that the lines were making up in her head, and once she reached the bottom of the page, she had the image of herself sleeping that Uzuki had drawn floating around in her head.

"Wow . . . that's amazing!" Nyla exclaimed. "How did you learn to draw like that?"

Uzuki shrugged her shoulders. "Years of practice and a ton of how-to-draw books."

"I can see the drawing in my head! I didn't know you could do that!"

Uzuki sat back down in the bean bag chair. "I used to have a blind friend a few years ago. I always did drawings for her."

Nyla stopped running her hand down the paper. "Used to? Where is she now? You're not friends with her anymore?"

Uzuki sighed. " . . . She died a few years ago. Car accident. Her older brother was driving."

Nyla hung her head. "I'm . . . sorry."

"Nah, it's alright," Uzuki said with a casual smile. "It happened years ago. I've gotten over it."

" . . . Was she a nice person?" Nyla asked.

"She was a lot like you," Uzuki said. "Kind, a bit on the quiet side, but always excited to try new things. Her brother was very protective of her. He cared about her a lot. So did I."

"What was her name?"

". . . Maria."

Nyla went silent for a moment. "A lot of people have lost someone important to them, haven't they? I . . . lost my mother and my little sister a little while ago. I miss them."  
"I lost my family too," Uzuki said. "They all died."

Nyla gasped lightly. "W-What happened to them?"

Uzuki turned her dark gaze away. ". . . Nothing. Just an accident. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"What do you mean?"

Images flashed through Uzuki's mind, memories from an event that had happened years and years ago. She could see her two younger sisters and her parents laying dead on the floor, pools of blood seeping from underneath them. Her younger brother had gone missing just a week before.

_I should have left when he went missing, _Uzuki thought with regret. _It was a warning . . . and I should have listened. _

"Uzuki?"

Nyla's voice woke Uzuki up from her trance. She forced the images out of her mind so that she could look back at Nyla.

"Nothing. Forget it. What's past is past; they're never coming back, so I'm not going to dwell on it."

Nyla looked down at her feet. Link had comforted her, but Uzuki seemed to be a little more negative on the whole topic of losing family members. She didn't seem to care. It was all in the past, but she acted as if it had never happened and she didn't care that her family members were dead.

"Well, whatever happened to them, I'm sorry," Nyla whispered.

"No need to apologize, it's not like any of it was your fault," Uzuki muttered. "This happened years ago. I've had plenty of time to move on. You'll learn to move on, too. Dwelling on things doesn't do any good for anybody; and dwelling gets boring pretty fast."

"I know. I'll try," Nyla said. "I know I can't dwell on it forever, but . . . it's going to take some time."

Uzuki smiled, and patted Nyla's head. "You're very strong for someone so young. And very mature – I know half of the kids your age are too busy playing with their own boogers than to sit and listen to other people's stories."  
Nyla giggled. "I've always been looking out for my family, so . . . I guess I just never had time to act silly."

"I don't have time for it," Uzuki muttered. "I am whenever I am, but I'm too worried about things going on right now to have time to be silly."

_It's hard to be yourself when you have a suited man watching you from every corner, _Uzuki thought. _It's bad enough that I'm putting this girl's life in jeopardy. If He sees me with her, she won't have a chance of making it out._

"Uzuki?"

Uzuki realized she was lost in a trance again. "Sorry, I have a bad habit of . . . blanking out. Thinking too much, I guess."

The two girls were silent for a few minutes, until Uzuki finally spoke up.

"So what do you want to do for the next hour and a half?" she asked.

Nyla shrugged her shoulders. "I'd like to try drawing but I don't think I'd be able to do it. Being blind, and all."

"Well, don't let something like _that _stop you," Uzuki said with a smile. "I can teach you how to draw the way I drew you – so you can see the drawing by the feeling of the lines."

Nyla beamed at Uzuki's words. "Really? You think I can do it?"

"Sure, as long as you pay attention to what you're doing and have a bit of patience," Uzuki replied. "Remember, you can't learn how to draw overnight; it takes a lot of practice."

Nyla nodded. "I'll try my best!"

Uzuki smiled. "Okay, just stay put on the couch. I'll get some drawing tools out of my bag."

* * *

For the twenty minutes, Uzuki taught Nyla how to draw. She taught her various techniques for drawing lines, including the technique for drawing deeper lines so she could feel the lines and imagine them in her head. They drew random doodles and cartoon characters, and by the time they were finished, Nyla had drawn a small scene with various animals and a few humans.

"Hey, you're a natural at this," Uzuki said as she observed Nyla's drawing.

"You really think so?" Nyla asked.

"Yeah. You may be blind, but you've got talent."

Nyla smiled widely. "Thanks!"

Uzuki set the drawing on the coffee table between them. She stared at it for a few minutes in peace, but then suddenly she felt a chill go through her back, and the tiny hairs on her neck stood on end. She could feel the air around her growing heavy, and her head started pounding.

"Um . . . why don't we go for a walk?" Uzuki asked Nyla. "This room is getting kind of stuffy, and it would be nice to get a breath of fresh air."

Nyla looked up from the drawing she was working on. "Oh . . . okay, sure."

"Sorry to tear you away from your drawing, but we might be inspired while we walk out in the winter air," Uzuki said. "We can get some hot chocolate or something, if you want."

"Sure!" Nyla said happily. She got up from the couch and carefully walked around. Uzuki passed Nyla her jacket and boots and helped her into them, and then secured a wool beany cap on Nyla's head to keep her ears warm, and some wool gloves over her small hands. Once Nyla was dressed, Uzuki dressed herself into her jacket, knee-high boots, and fingerless gloves. The only hat she has was a black fedora – more for fashion, less for keeping her warm.

"All ready?" Uzuki asked Nyla.

Nyla nodded happily. "All ready!" she repeated.

Uzuki took Nyla's hand and walked out of the room. They shut the door behind them, and then started to walk down the hallway, when Uzuki stopped suddenly.

"Ugh, I forgot the extra sketchbook I was going to bring for you," she sighed. "Come on, let's go grab it." The two girls turned and headed back to the dorm room.

Uzuki grabbed the doorknob and pushed to try and open it, but the door didn't budge. It jiggled a little, but wouldn't open.

"What the-" Uzuki kept attempting to open the door, but it wouldn't open. "Dammit! That monster must have locked us out . . ."

Nyla raised an eyebrow. "Um, did you bring the key?"

Uzuki stopped, and checked her pockets. No key.

"O-Or the door's just locked 'cause it automatically locks," Uzuki muttered to herself, a bit embarrassed. "Crap, I can't believe I forgot the key . . ."

"What do we do now?" Nyla asked worriedly.

"It was just a spare," Uzuki replied. "We'll have to wait until Alexis comes home . . . unless you carry any bobby pins?"

Nyla shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry."

Uzuki sighed. "Then lock-picking is out of the question. We'll have to wait for Alexis."

"Well, we can come back in an hour, then," Nyla said. ". . . What did you mean by 'that monster'?"

Uzuki shook her head. "Nothing. Forget it."

"O-Okay . . ."

Uzuki hastily took Nyla's hand. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

Uzuki and Nyla walked down the snow-covered sidewalk, holding each other's hands as they passed the other people that were out running errands or just going for a morning stroll. In each of their free hands they carried a cup of hot chocolate from the nearby cafe.

"You don't go to school, do you?" Nyla asked Uzuki.

"Well, not right now, but I'll be taking the classes once next semester starts," Uzuki said. "I can assume you're not in school?"

"No, but my mother has taught me a lot," Nyla said. "We could never afford to send me to school, so . . ."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be," Uzuki muttered. "A lot of kids are always excited to go to school, but you get pretty sick of it after twelve years. And that's not even including the post-secondary at a college or university. And half of it turns out to be useless, if you know what you want to do with your life. I knew what I wanted to do in grade _seven –_ so you can imagine how annoyed I was taking five more years of classes I didn't need."

"I'm probably not going to go to anything like that . . ." Nyla whispered sadly.

"Well, you never know," Uzuki replied. "Your life isn't over yet."

They were silent for a moment until Nyla asked, "What _did _you want to do after high school?"

Uzuki smiled. "Concept art and animation for video games."

"I think you'd be good at it."

Uzuki smiled. "Thanks. Unfortunately, a wrench was thrown into my plans. My dreams aren't going to come true anytime soon, that's for sure. And now I'm back in high school, for no reason at all, taking classes I've already done and don't need. My life is shit, but at least I'm alive. That's all we humans can do when it comes down to it all – stay alive."

Nyla went quiet. "I'm sure your dreams will come true someday."

Uzuki took a sip from her hot chocolate. "Maybe, but I'm not going to attach myself to false hope. If it does, that's great, but if it doesn't, oh well. Que sera, sera."

Nyla stared at her in wonder. "What does that mean?"

Uzuki took another sip from her drink. "Whatever will be, will be."

* * *

Uzuki and Nyla eventually settled at an indoor cafe. It had indoor heating, so they were greeted with a blast of warm air upon entering the building. They waited at the door for a hostess to come along. Eventually, a younger woman with tied-back black hair and a pair of glasses resting on her nose showed up.  
"Hi, welcome to Delight's Diner and Grill!" the woman greeted them with a bright smile. "How many will be dining today?"

"Just two, tha-" Uzuki stopped. She peered at the woman standing in front of her. ". . . Eve? Is that you?"

The woman stared back at her. "O-Oh my . . . p-please, let me get you a nice seat. Any preferences?" the woman asked. Her voice had suddenly become very nervous.

"Anywhere is fine, as long as it isn't near a window," Uzuki muttered. "Table for three."

"Yes, ma'am," the woman named Eve said firmly. She took a step back and then led Uzuki and Nyla to a table with three seats, further away from the windows that gave a nice view of the city square.

"Thank you," Uzuki said as she sat herself and Nyla down at the table.

"Y-You're most welcome," Eve stammered nervously. "I'll be back with a menu immediately." Then she scurried off to the counter.

"You know that girl?" Nyla asked curiously.

"Her name is Eve," Uzuki said. "Never knew her last name; she just goes by her shortened first name. Her typical first name is Evangeline. Too long and lady-like, that's what she always said. Either way, we're not really close friends, but we still know each other enough to recognize each other."

"She seemed kind of nervous," Nyla said.

"People tend to be nervous around me," Uzuki sighed. "Although her nervousness is different from everyone else's. Her nervousness just comes from me; in my field of work, I tend to be . . . intimidating."

"Your field of work?"

"Just full of questions, aren't you? It's nothing to worry yourself over."

_And it shouldn't ever be_, Uzuki thought grimly. _Eve's at least being smart – having a job at a place where there's always a crowd, in a city that's always bustling. As long as I don't get in the way, she should be safe for a month or two._

"You blank out a lot," Nyla stated. "You keep going all quiet so quickly."

Uzuki blinked, breaking herself out of her trance, and looked at Nyla. "Huh?"

"You're always zoning out," Nyla giggled.

"It happens when I think too much," Uzuki mumbled.

Nyla was going to ask something else, but Eve came by before she could get another word out.

"Here you go, three menus," Eve said as she set the menus down on the table. "Who might the third one be for?"

"You," Uzuki said firmly. "Sit."

"Ma'am, I have work I have to-"

Uzuki suddenly ripped out a knife out of her pocket and slammed it into the table. The blade made its home in the wood of the table. "_Sit_."

Eve was silent as she sat across from Uzuki, just a few feet away from where Nyla was sitting.

"What are you doing in Hyrule, Eve? I thought you were researching out in Labrynna with James," Uzuki said.

"I was, but he took off for the water," Eve replied. "He had a new research project he had to test out. He wants to see if it's safe out there, out in the ocean."

Uzuki looked around to make sure the coast was clear. "Just a second, Nyla," she said, and then leaned in close to Eve.

"Is he testing the Fire Tamer theory?" she whispered.

"Seems like it," Eve replied in the same hushed tone. "Even if the tests prove as a failure, I still hope he at least makes it out of there with his life."

"Same here. He may not be able to start fires out there, but if that means it's one less hassle for us to deal with, then it's more successful than anything we've seen in a while."

"What about the houses? Have you been researching them?"

"I'm_ living _in one right now," Uzuki grumbled. "Well, not _right _now, but I'll be heading back there soon. Things were getting too tense – He knew I was there, but He wouldn't attack me."

"Always liked to play His games," Even sneered. "Look, I've got to get back to my work or my boss will kill me. I can't get fired, at least not until I leave. I need the money."

Uzuki took a twenty out of her pocket and tucked it into Eve's front breast pocket. "Take it. You'll need it. Email me or do a write-up online if something happens, and I'll do the best I can."

"You've got it, boss," Even snickered with a wink.

"Very funny," Uzuki muttered. "Go on, get. I've got a younger one here to attend to."

Eve looked over at Nyla, who was playing with a napkin. She hushed her voice even more so that Nyla wouldn't overhear. "Don't you keep that girl by you too long, you hear me? She's too young to get wrapped up in this, and you know He enjoys going after the younger ones. Besides, I can tell she's blind; we don't need her to end up like Maria."

"I know," Uzuki said. "I'm just babysitting. I'm going to keep her in the crowd so that He doesn't come close, and if it works, He shouldn't even catch sight of her."

Eve stood up from the table. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Uzuki smiled. "Sweetheart, I _always _have a plan, and it _always _works. Remember what I always say: everything will always-"

"Work out in the end, I know," Eve sighed. "Okay, I'll email you whenever I get the chance. I'll also keep you posted on James." She looked over to Nyla and smiled. "Let me know when you've come to a decision and we'll get your food to you lickety-split, okay?"

Nyla smiled. "Yes, ma'am!"

Eve smiled and then left the two girls, heading back to the front counter to greet more customers.

"She seems like a nice lady," Nyla said.

"The two of us go way back," Uzuki replied. She opened a menu, and so did Nyla.

"Do they have chicken nuggets here?" Nyla asked. "I tried them once with Alexis, and they were delicious."

Uzuki looked through the menu. "No, but they have chicken strips. Essentially the same thing."

"I'll get them then," Nyla said. "And chocolate milk to drink!"

"Chocolate milk it is," Uzuki confirmed with a smile.

"What will you be getting?" Nyla asked.

"Chicken burger and water," Uzuki muttered as she looked at the menu. "I'm picky, and I never have much of an appetite. I can't eat too much, otherwise I get sick."

"O-Oh . . . that's too bad."

"Well, I'm alive," Uzuki said. "Besides, I don't want to get fat."

Nyla giggled.

After ordering their food, the girls sat and talked to each other more while they waited for it to be served. They talked about Uzuki's life, and Nyla's life; they talked about their friends, and their family. They were just finishing a conversation about their favorite kind of ice cream when their food was placed on their table.  
"Thank you," Uzuki said to the waitress.

"Thanks!" Nyla exclaimed.

"You're very welcome!" the waitress said with a warm smile.

Nyla smiled widely and started to gently prod her hands along her plate so that she could find the chicken strips. When she found one, Uzuki showed her where the ketchup dip was. Nyla dipped the chicken strip into the ketchup and then took a bite.

"It _does _taste like a chicken nugget!" Nyla laughed.

"Told you," Uzuki snickered.

The two girls ate their food with some conversation in between their bites. They were done within a half hour, and stayed to chat for a while longer, and by the time Uzuki checked her cellphone's time, it was just twenty minutes shy of when Alexis would be home.

"We'd better get going," Uzuki said. "We don't want Alexis to find us missing."

"Okay," Nyla said. The two girls got up from their tables and Uzuki left a twenty dollar bill on the table to pay for the food.

Uzuki took Nyla's hand. "Come on, let's go get Alexis to unlock that door for us."

* * *

Alexis showed up just a few minutes after Uzuki and Nyla arrived at the dorm room.

"Hey there," Alexis greeted them. "Are you two heading out?"

"Actually, we just got back," Uzuki grumbled. "We kind of locked ourselves out."

Alexis laughed a little, and then pulled out her own key. After inserting and turning the key, she grabbed the handle of the doorknob and pushed the door open. The three girls stepped into the dorm room together. The room was the same as how Uzuki and Nyla left it.

"Thanks, I had some stuff in here I didn't want to leave," Uzuki said to Alexis. She grabbed the school bag that was sitting on the floor near the couch. "Other than that, I've got to be heading out."

"Alright. Thanks a bunch, Uzuki," Alexis thanked her with a smile and a warm hug.

"See you later, Nyla," Uzuki said before rubbing Nyla's head. "Stay out of trouble, you hear?"

"I will," Nyla replied.

Uzuki swung her bag over her shoulder. "See you."

* * *

Uzuki sat on her bed as she went through her bag, the same bag she had left locked in Alexis' room. She flipped through her sketchbooks one at a time, making sure she had every one.

_Wait a minute . . . _Uzuki thought cautiously. She counted the number of sketchbooks she had. Five. Five out of six. Uzuki's heart started racing, and her skin started to crawl. She frantically went through her bag again and again and again, but kept counting five out of six.

_Shit . . . _

Uzuki stopped, and then flipped through the sketchbooks to see what was inside of them. The first sketchbook had character concept art, the second had promotional art for her stories, the third had environment art, the fourth had monster art, and the fifth had fanart. The sixth one – the sketchbook she used to re-image her nightmares, her worst fears, everything her mind knew and felt – was gone.

Right at that moment, Uzuki heard a door slam. The only other doors in her dorm room were the main doorway, the door leading to Hena and Iza's bedroom, and the bathroom door.

Uzuki slowly got up from her bed and went out to the main room where Hena and Iza were studying with each other for their exams. They were sitting there, noses buried in their books, undisturbed from the door slam just a few moments earlier.

"You two didn't hear that?" Uzuki asked cautiously as she slowly crept further into the main room.

"Hear what?" Iza asked. "I didn't hear anything."

"Neither did I," Hena agreed.

"Not even a door slam?"

The girls looked at each other first, then back at Uzuki, and shook their heads.

"Nope," they both replied.

Uzuki sighed. _Well, shit. _Uzuki quickly scrambled back to her room. She locked the door behind her and then locked her windows before pulling the curtains over them. Then she sat down on her bed and opened her laptop.

After opening a new webpage, Uzuki went to her email and typed in her password. When her inbox came up, she saw there was an email from Eve. She quickly read over the text that was written on the page.

_salUtations,_

_did you know that the aZtecs had a killing techniqUe that allowed them to rip the sKIn off a human being in two pieces? i can Just imAgine what other kind of torture techniques they had. or MaybE they were juSt InSane, like you and I. and don't forget death By A thousand Cuts! that would probably be something even /you/ couldn't endure._

_but bacK to realIty. whaTever reality that really exiSTs and can't kill us. does such a realIty really exist, or is it just a sick dreaM that wE are all living? _

_apples are delicious, by The way. _

_now, what tO do about all of this? pests must be exterMinated. the fly kEEps buzzing around my head and won'T cease it's annoying noise. i suggest we sqUish it immediately, just like a Person's heart. _

_- tempted by the apple_

Uzuki sighed and shut her laptop. She sat on her bed for a few moments, staring into space, contemplating her thoughts. After a few moments of silence, Uzuki snapped out of her thought trance and jumped up from her bed. She started to throw a bunch of things into her bag, including her laptop, her tablet, a few sketchbooks, her cellphone, a few cans of food, and her thermos filled with water. The last thing she grabbed was a white mask, which was hidden away in her closet. The eyes were outlined with black, and the lips were drawn in with black as well. She secured the mask to her bag, and then left the room, leaving behind a single note.

_Que sera, sera._


	50. The Missing Girl

**Hey guys, **

**So this chapter turned out longer than I thought it would, but I guess that's a good thing considering I wasn't sure if it would have enough content by the end of it (which it did, so yay!) I'm going to try not to make /too/ much Uzuki considering she's not the main character of the story and not everyone likes her. I'm going to have just enough of Uzuki for the story, but not so much that it strays from the actual main characters :) Other than that, that's all I've gotta say about this chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it! ^ ^ Feel free to drop a review if you have the time, I always appreciate the feedback :) **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 50: The Missing Girl**

"Zelda Harkinian?"

"Here."

"Sheik?"

"Here."

"Groose?"

"Here and _fabulous." _

The teacher rolled her eyes. "Uzuki Kasahara?"

There was no reply.

"Uzuki?"

Zelda looked around, and saw that Uzuki was indeed missing from the class.

_That's odd, _Zelda thought. _Maybe she just slept in . . . it's her first day after all . . . still, it's the afternoon and it's almost lunchtime. _

"Well, I guess Ms. Uzuki is absent," Ms. Wyrna sighed as she marked her name on her clipboard. "First day of school this semester . . . not off to a great start for a new student. Let's get started, class."

The first writing class of the semester started like any other first day – the students received their workbooks, were introduced to their curriculum for the semester, and also talked about what they would do in place of an exam, considering writing didn't need one.

The last few minutes of class were spent writing short introductions about themselves, including their name and birthplace, their favorite classes, their personality, strengths and weaknesses, and their hobbies. Zelda was just finishing hers when the bell rang and the students got up for their break.

As she walked through the hallway, Zelda dug out her new schedule and looked over it again. It was the second class of the day – she had Art in the morning for her first class – and she had Biology and Chemistry to get through after lunch.

Zelda followed the rest of the crowd to the cafeteria, and smiled when she saw her friends sitting in the same spot as always, crowded together all at the far end of the room at their own table.

"Has anyone seen Uzuki?" Zelda asked the group when she made it to the table.

"Nah, she wasn't in class this morning," Shade muttered. "C++ is going to be a bitch for her if she misses school like that."

"Have fun failing that," Link muttered. "You can barely even pass English; how in the world are you going to learn a computer language?"

"Don't doubt me," Shade snickered.

"Perhaps Uzuki is not feeling well?" Fi asked. "Her roommates, Hena and Iza, may know where she is."

"Good point," Link said. "Maybe she is just down with the flu. Either way, Uzuki usually comes around. If I find Hena or Iza I can ask where they are, but I don't think it's anything serious."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Zelda sighed. "I just hope she isn't getting into any trouble."

Lunch passed by normally, and when the next bell rang, Link started for his Health class. When he entered the room, he saw that he shared a class with Sheik, Malon, Ren, and Iza.

"Hey, Link! Over here!" Sheik called when he saw Link enter the classroom. Link went over to him and sat at the desk next to his. The desks were arranged so that there were four rows, each with five sets of desks. Each set was composed of two desks pushed together, enough for about forty students.

When the teacher stepped in, Link saw that Mrs. Anju was teaching the class.

"Good afternoon, students," Mrs. Anju said. "Mrs. Uli was supposed to teach this class, but she's on maternity leave, so I will be replacing her for this semester, and she will return in the fall."

"Freaking Uli, always getting pregnant," Sheik muttered. "She always comes here for a year and then ends up having _another _kid. It's ridiculous."

"Well, at least you know the next generation isn't going to have a lack of children," Link snickered back.

"It's ironic, isn't it? How half of Health class is teaching guys not to get chicks pregnant, and then our Health teacher is doing it every other year?"

Link smiled to himself. "Mmhmm."

Sheik looked around to see who else was in the class. "It looks like Iza's here. You should ask her later to see if Uzuki's around."

"Yeah, I'll wait until class is over," Link replied.

Most of the class, like the others, was spent introducing the curriculum. Link wasn't a fan of Health class, but he needed at least one credit from a Health-oriented class to graduate.

During the hour-and-a-half class, Link spent most of his time doodling through Mrs. Anju's lectures. The class was pretty basic, so he knew it wouldn't take much to pass the course. It was always nice to have a class that he could laze around in, at least. When the bell rang, he had drawn a scene with Godzilla trampling over Hyrule Castle, with Ren between its teeth. Sheik chuckled lightly at Link's drawing before he folded it up and threw it in the garbage.

Once the bell for break rang, Link grabbed his bag and got up from his desk. When he saw Iza, he remembered what the group had asked him to do earlier at lunch, so he approached Iza with a smile and greeted her.

"Oh, hey there, Link," Iza replied. "Looking as sexy as usual, I see."

"Uh, thanks," Link muttered. He was always taken off guard by her direct friendliness towards his appearance. "Iza, I need to ask you something. Uzuki's your roommate, right? She wasn't at school today so my friends and I were wondering if you knew what was up."

Iza looked around and then walked in closer to Link. He could almost feel her large chest touching against his. She whispered softly, "She's gone. All that was left was a note that said, 'Going out for a bit, expect varied results of returning'. God knows what she meant by that last part."

"Do you have the note?" Link asked.

Iza nodded and reached into the cup of her bra underneath her shirt. She pulled out a folded up slip of paper and handed it to him. Link took the note and opened it to find Uzuki's scrawled lettering on the paper, saying exactly what Iza had just relayed to him. Indeed, the note was cryptic, but in the end, it still meant the same thing – Uzuki had left on her own, and neither of them knew when she would be back.

"I wonder where she went . . ." Link muttered.

"She probably just took off for some girl time," Iza said with a smile as she backed away from Link. "I heard some _rumors _though . . ."

". . . Rumors?"

Iza smiled. "Sorry, unless I see some shiny things, I'm not spilling."

Link sighed. He pulled out a red rupee and handed it to her. "Is that shiny enough for you?"

"It'll do, I suppose," Iza said with a sly smile. "They say that when she was actually in high school, a couple years ago, she always went missing for long periods of time. She'd always return on her own, but whenever she did, she'd have bandages wrapped around places like her arms and legs, and sometimes even scars right out in the open. She always gave excuses like, 'I went on a hiking vacation', or 'I was camping', but the teachers and students were always suspicious."

"I'd be suspicious too," Link replied. "Anything else?"

Iza looked at the red rupee that Link had just given her. "You know, I think this is getting a little dull . . . it's losing its precious red glow."

Link rolled his eyes before handing her another red rupee.

Iza smiled brightly. "She apparently always had knives and other sharp things on her. Knives, nails, scissors . . . and she always walked around with a sketchbook with the weirdest drawings inside of them. Apparently she didn't do much at home either. She always went home and then went online with her laptop, but she mostly just spent her day spending emails and making blog posts. I never found the blog, but I'm sure it must have had some weird stuff in it."

Link nodded.

"Look, I really don't know much more than that, but I'm sure Navi or one of the journalism girls would know," Iza said. "You know them and their news stories. You can probably find them in the computer lab after school. If not, you at least know where Navi's room is, considering she's Zelda's roommate."

"Okay. Thanks," Link said.

"My pleasure," Iza giggled before blowing him a kiss.

When Link walked off, he found Sheik waiting outside the classroom with a sly grin on his face.

"Gee whiz, Link, I knew you were desperate, but paying for that kind of thing right in the middle of class? You really _are _a hound," Sheik snickered.

Link gave him a funny look. "What are you- Oh, that's just rich, you know that, Sheik? I was paying her to find out stuff about Uzuki, not for _that_."

"Sure thing, Link, just keep trying to convince yourself of that. Better not let Zel see you up to that." Sheik winked.

"Whatever. Either way, Iza said that Navi and the journalism girls should know more about where Uzuki's gone."

"I thought you said she would be fine on her own?"

"I did, but that's before I saw the note Iza found in her room." Link handed Sheik the note that he still had on him.

After reading over it a few times, he handed it back to Link. "She's probably just gone to run some errands or visit friends. Uzuki's as free as a bird when it comes to that kind of stuff."

_He has a point, but the note is still troubling . . . _Link thought. _Especially taking into account what Iza said about her. _"Well, I'm going to ask the girls anyway after school. No harm in it, at least."

"Just don't worry about it too much," Sheik sighed. "She'll show up eventually."

* * *

After Link's last class of the day – Chemistry – he caught Zelda just as she was leaving the classroom.

"No word on Uzuki?" Link asked.

"N-No, but you seem to be worrying about her an awful lot," Zelda said. "She'll be fine, Link, she always is."

"I just don't like the thought of my friends going missing," Link sighed. "Sorry if I seem a little . . . on edge. Either way, I'm going to see the journalism girls in a few minutes here. Do you want to come with me?"

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. "May as well. I don't have much else to do today."

Link smiled. "How was your day?"

"It was good, although it's weird being in different classes. This semester is going to go by way faster too . . ." she sighed. "We'll be in grade twelve before you know it."

Link nodded. "I know, right? It's kind of scary to think about. We'll be out on our own and-" Link stopped. The thought of him and Zelda graduating and possibly taking completely different paths crossed his mind and made his heart sink.

"Z-Zel?" Link asked. "What are you . . . you know, doing after you graduate?"

Zelda stopped walking as well and looked at him with a look of certainty. She knew exactly what he was getting at. "I-I'm not sure yet . . . I don't really know what I want to do."

"O-Oh . . . well, I'm sure you'll find something you like soon, right?" Link said with a smile. "You still have time."

"A little, although it's starting to run short . . ." Zelda said softly. "What . . . what about you?"

Link shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know yet either. I've always liked music so maybe something in audio engineering . . . I dunno."

Zelda smiled. "Then we'll find out together what we want to do, okay? But until that time comes between now and graduation, we'll focus on now."

_She's right, _Link thought to himself. _I'm worrying too much about the future and I should be worrying about right now. _

"Yeah, you're right," Link said. "I was just wondering."

Zelda held out her hand. "Come on, let's go find my stupid friend."

Link smiled and took Zelda's small, gentle hand. Then they walked together down the hall, their hands never leaving each other's and their smiles never disappearing from their faces.

* * *

Navi typed away on her computer while talking to Link and Zelda at the same time, never taking her eyes off the screen.

"Nope, haven't seen her," Navi muttered. "I don't really pay much attention to her."

"Okay. Do you know anything about her though?" Link said. "Iza said you might know a bit more about her history before coming to this school."

Navi stopped for a moment to think. She leaned onto her desk with her hands under her chin and stayed that way while she thought. "I know a bit, yeah, but I don't know if it'll be helpful or not."

"Anything," Link demanded. "It doesn't matter what it is, every little bit helps."

Navi stretched her arms out before leaning back into her computer chair. "Well, I know that she runs a blog online and several other accounts which she uses to stay in touch with people. She's got . . . a blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook account – although she hasn't used that account in three years – a Youtube account, and some kind of livestream channel. All five have been used and active within the past month; some more than others, but none abandoned.

"Can you bring any of them up?" Zelda asked.

"I can show you the blog, but Twitter and Facebook are blocked on the school computers – stupid administration – and her livestream account doesn't have much of a live feed. Oh yeah, and she has quite a few Youtube videos, but half of them are listed as private so only people with permission can view them unless she unlocks them . . . and the ones that aren't private are just clips of snowy mess and all sorts of weird clips that make no sense."

"Alright, I guess we have no choice," Link sighed. "Bring up the blog."

"Okay, but I gotta make it quick," Navi said. "I've gotta meet today's deadline and exams made it tough to keep up with everything. I've gotta get my work done."

Link nodded before seating himself next to Navi. Zelda also sat down on the other side of Navi so that all three of them were crowding around one computer monitor. Navi quickly typed in the URL – – and after the page loaded, they were greeted with pages and pages of blog posts. The entire layout of the blog was black with scratchy white text.

"Look, there was a post today," Navi said, scrolling up to the top post. The three of them huddled in to read the post.

_My dear Runners, Researchers, and yes, even you, Watchers and Workers,_

_I guess the shit hit the fan, hmm? Buuuut I'm still alive! And to some of you, I guess that's all that really matters; staying alive. _

_Now let's get to business. I can't cover too much right now because /they/ are probably reading this and I don't want to put their lives in jeopardy. _

_So I leave you this Runners, Researchers, Watchers, Workers, and /you/: _

_47 65 74 20 6f 75 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 74 65 72 2c 20 6d 79 20 6c 69 74 74 6c 65 20 66 69 73 68 69 65 73 20 61 6e 64 20 6d 65 72 6d 61 69 64 73 2e 20 54 68 65 20 63 68 61 6c 6c 65 6e 67 65 73 20 68 61 76 65 20 62 65 67 75 6e 2e 20_

_Peace be with you, my fellow Runners!_

_- UZUKI_

Link stared at the numbers and mixed up text on the screen. "What the heck is that supposed to be?"

Navi shrugged her shoulders. "Beats me. Maybe it's just a glitch or broken code on the blog?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, it's one of Uzuki's stupid codes. She probably knows we're reading this. She always planned ahead like that."

Link sighed before leaning back into his chair and rubbing his head. "She just loves to make things difficult . . ."

"Link, it's obvious she doesn't want us to pursue her," Zelda said to him. "We should just leave this and wait for her to return."

Link nodded. "I hate leaving Uzuki behind, but I guess you're right." Link stood up from his chair. "Thanks, Navi. Do you mind sending me the links to those accounts later so I can check them out?"

"Sure thing, Link," Navi replied. "Always happy to help. Just . . . be careful, alright?"

"Of course."

Navi grabbed his hand. "No, I'm serious, _be careful_. According to Uzuki's previous history people have tended to . . . disappear around her. She seems like a nice person, but I wouldn't trust her too much. Just watch where you pry; you might run into something that you didn't want to run into."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Link assured her. "Thanks again, Navi." Then he took his hand out of hers and escorted Zelda out of the computer lab.

* * *

After Link had dropped off Zelda at her dorm, he continued his way back to his own room. He didn't have any homework, so he could just relax for the rest of the day. He was walking across the field towards the boys' dormitory when he saw a group of boys crowding around something. As he got closer, he recognized Shade in the crowd, a huge smile on his face.

"Hey, Shade," Link greeted his brother when he got to him. "What's going on here?"

"Are you seeing this?" Shade snickered. "Look at this guy! He dresses like a douche but he's got some pretty awesome skills up his sleeve."

Link turned to see what the boys were looking at – a boy with light purple hair, dressed in elegant robes, and creating all sorts of illusions right before their eyes.

"Wait a minute . . . I feel like I know him," Link said.

"That's Vaati," Shade reminded him. "He's picked up all sorts of new tricks. I know it's not really 'magic' but it still makes me wonder how the hell he's pulling this shit off!"

They watched as Vaati pulled out a deck of cards from one of his sleeves. He threw them up into the air, the cards separating and floating down like snowflakes, but then they froze in mid-air when Vaati lifted and locked his hands into a certain position. His fingers bent and twitched, and the cards began to shift and spin. With a few movements of his arms and hands, the cards flew back into a deck once again, landing neatly at his feet. He took his cape and then bowed to the crowd.

"Damn," Link laughed. "That _is _impressive. Get this guy with Chris Angel and I'm sure they'd unleash all sorts of hell."

"I'm surprised he hasn't attracted any of the ladies yet," Shade murmured to him with a smile.

The group cheered and applauded Vaati as he did a final bow and began to put away his props and tools.

"Great show, Vaati!" Shade yelled out to him.

"Thank you," Vaati replied. "I've been practicing for quite a while . . . I even have a job in this now."

"Wow, that's impressive. You perform at kids' birthday parties and stuff?"

"Even bigger than that. Yes, there are a few birthday parties here and there, but I've even done my shows on stage at some of the bars and restaurants here. I dream of walking the stage of the Hyrule Theatre and captivating everyone with my magic."

"You'll be there in no time with those kinds of stunts," Link said to him. "I'll have to take Zel to one of your shows one time."

"Even Ren would get her socks knocked off by that," Shade snickered. "And she's barely impressed by _anything_."

Vaati smiled. "I'm performing at that place that has the karaoke next Saturday, if you gentlemen and your ladies are free to come see me perform."

"Gah, _that _place . . ." Link shuddered. "I'll definitely bring Zel though; but I'll hold on the karaoke part."

"Not going to try and impress Zel with those manly singing skills?" Shade teased.

"Shush," Link growled back.

Vaati chuckled. "I can see the resemblance; I figured you two were brothers."

"Two out of three," Link answered. "But he's the annoying one."

"And he's the baby," Shade snickered. "The last to pop out, and the last to get a real girlfriend."

"You at least seem to get along alright," Vaati sighed. "Either way, I will have to bid both of you adieu; I must practice for next week's show."

"See you later, Vaati," Link said.

"Later, man," Shade muttered.

When Vaati was gone, Link started to head for his dorm once again, but this time with Shade following close behind.

"Hey, Link, you doing anything today?" Shade asked.

"_You're _wondering if I'm _doing _anything?" Link replied with a raise of his eyebrow. "What are you up to, Shade?"

"Nothing," Shade said innocently. "I'm bored as all fuck and Ren is in a grumpy mood because she's on her period or something. And Ganondorf is back on the wrestling team so he's practicing with Groose. Either way, I'm bored and my roommate is even more boring than you are."

Link sighed in defeat. "Fine, you can come hang out with me for a bit, but if you do anything sketchy, you're out, got it?"

Shade beamed. "You got it, little bro'," he said happily as he started to follow Link again. "I can beat the shit out of you at some video games or something."

"In your _dreams_, Shade."

* * *

"That's four-to-zero," Shade announced happily before stretching out on his chair. "I guess I must be dreaming, eh, Link?"

Link growled angrily and set his remote control down. "I never was good at that game anyway," he mumbled.

"Oh, don't be a baby, little bro'," Shade laughed. "If there were actual prizes, you'd get one of those cheap participation ribbons."

"Oh, shut up," Link growled. "Racing games just aren't my thing, okay?"

Shade grinned spitefully before relaxing into the couch. "So, your new classes treating you well?" Shade asked his brother as he began to set up a new round for racing.

"Eh, the hardest classes I have are Physics and Chemistry," Link replied. "History won't be too bad, and Health is pretty straightforward. What are you taking?"

Shade selected his character and race car and watched as Link began to select his while replying, "Math, Visual Basic, English, and C++."

Link made an odd look at his brother. "C++? Isn't that a little . . . _advanced_ for you?"

"Not really," Shade mumbled. "I'm good at working with computers. C++ isn't too bad, although it's going to pose some challenges. I'll be fine, though." Shade selected the course.

"Well, just try not to bite off more than you can chew, alright?" Link sighed.

"Like I said, I'll be fine," Shade replied before hitting the start button to begin the race.

Once the race began, Link and Shade took off, racing each other down the track that travelled through a jungle. Link used as many speed-ups and items as he could, but by the end of the third lap, Shade was once again the first to cross the finish line.

"That's five-to-zero," Shade laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Link muttered. It was then that by some random thought, Link remembered that Navi was going to send him the links to Uzuki's accounts. He knew he shouldn't pry too much, but he still felt that he had to know where Uzuki was at least. He didn't have to go looking for her; but if he knew, he could at least stop worrying.

"You set up the next race, I just gotta check my email," Link said to Shade as he got up from his chair.

"Alright," Shade replied, proceeding to choose the characters, race cars, and courses.

Link found his laptop in his room and opened it, activating it from sleep mode. He signed into his email account and saw that Navi had already sent him the links; it was the newest email he had received. He never really got a lot of emails anyway, besides notifications from the school administration and the odd email from a friend usually asking for help with homework or just wondering how his life was going. Other than that, junk mail and website advertisements.

Link clicked on Navi's email to open it. There were five links in the email – one each for Facebook, the blog, Youtube, Twitter, and her livestream – along with a message from Navi.

_Like I said, try not to get too involved. Sometimes a girl just needs her space, okay? Be careful, Link, and don't do anything stupid. Some mysteries are better left unsolved._

_- Navi_

Link read over the message again, taking it to heart before copying the blog link into the URL bar at the top of his webpage. It only took a few moments for the page to fully load, giving Link full site of Uzuki's blog page. The entries dated as far back as five years, leaving hundreds and hundreds of blog posts that he would have to look over.

_It's going to be a long night . . . _Link thought to himself. He didn't know if it was worry for Uzuki or just plain curiosity, but Link felt compelled to read through all of it, no matter how many entries there were. The entry that he saw first was the entry that Uzuki had posted recently; the same one that had the strange, unreadable code all over it. Link stared at it for a few moments, hoping that if he stared at it long enough, some of it would start to make sense. After a few minutes of this, Link eventually looked away, gaining only a headache from staring intently at the screen for so long.

Getting up from his bed, he heard Shade call out to him, "Link, I gotta use your bathroom. The race is all set up so I'll be out in a second." Then he saw Shade pass his room as he went to the bathroom on the other side.

Link started from his room, leaving his laptop open on his bed, and went to sit down on the couch in front of the television screen. He noticed his character was a larger one, with a larger kart.

_Of course he'd pick a car for me that's slow as all hell, _Link thought to himself in disgust before pausing the game and selecting the "Choose Your Character" option so he could change it. He hit the A button Shade's controller to confirm the same character he had already picked before, and then Link started to scroll through the character roster to find his own.

He eventually heard the sound of a toilet flush followed by a sink running and then a door closing. He waited for Shade to hop onto the couch with him, but he never showed. After a few moments of not seeing his brother come back to play the game, he turned his head to look behind him and saw that Shade wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Shade?" Link called.

"Yeah, I'm in here," Shade replied from Link's bedroom.

Link sighed and got up from his couch. "Shade, what are you doing in my room?" he asked his brother when he stopped at his bedroom door to see Shade sitting on his bed, staring at his laptop screen. "Come on, stop prying."

Shade stared at the screen with a determined look in his eye. "This is hexadecimal code."

". . . What?" Link asked.

"It's hexadecimal code," Shade repeated. "A type of ASCII code used by computers to translate orders from a user. You know, computer programming."

Link could only understand the 'computer programming' part because he wasn't well-versed in the way of computers. But he was more surprised by the fact that his brother Shade actually knew what he was talking about when Link couldn't.

"So, uh, it's a code?" Link asked.

"Yep, it's a code," Shade sighed. "And here I thought you were just watching porn like a normal teenager." He smiled. "I can translate this for you if you need it."

Link's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "You can _read _this?!"

"Well, I can't read it like the English language, but I know how to decode it. It'll take me a bit though. There's a lot of math behind hexadecimal."

_Oh, so now he's good at math? _Link thought in shock. His brother had always been the one falling behind in his studies and coming home with report cards with bad grades, _especially _in math. The fact that his brother could translate some kind of unreadable computer code was astounding, and it didn't seem like he was faking it either.

"Alright then, knock yourself out," Link said with a shrug of his shoulders. "If you could actually decode that, it would be a huge help."

"No problem, just let me write this down," Shade said as he pulled out his phone. Link watched as Shade went to the main hub of his touch screen phone and then opened a sticky note. He carefully copied in the letters, numbers, and spaces of the code, checking back numerous times to make sure he copied it correctly.

"What is this for anyway?" Shade asked curiously after he was done copying the code in.

"That blog is managed by Uzuki," Link said. "We think she may have gone missing. She didn't come to school today and she left some sort of weird note with her roommates, Iza and Hena."

"Well, whatever it's for, seems like she doesn't want anyone following her," Shade mumbled. "I don't really like pushing into Uzuki's personal life like this, but I'm bored and I enjoy working with code, so I'm only doing this for my entertainment, okay? It's up to you what you want to actually do with it."

Link rolled his eyes. "Everything you do is for your own entertainment," Link sighed.

"Ah, the joys of being me," Shade snickered back. "I guess I'll head back to my dorm now. I'd like to get a start on this."

"Sure thing," Link replied.

"If you run into any more code like this, don't hesitate to send it to me."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to."

Shade smiled a small smile and then left the bedroom. He put on his jacket and boots at the door, gave a final wave to his brother, and then walked out without saying another word.

When Shade was gone, Link let out a tired sigh and plopped down on his couch, staring up at the ceiling above him. He knew that Uzuki was probably fine, but he still found himself worrying about her and wondering where she could be. Was she wandering around a city she didn't know, or was she simply back at her home in Kakariko?

_Get yourself together, Link, you gotta stop worrying about things so much, _Link thought. _She'll be fine._

Link checked the clock on his wall. It was nearly six in the evening. Still lots of time in the day. With another sigh, Link grabbed his cellphone and started to send a message to Zelda.

* * *

Link and Zelda were walking with coffee cups in their hands, enjoying the cold weather as they walked together through the snowy pathway leading to the school.

"Okay, so give me one good reason why cranberry juice is in any way delicious," Link laughed at Zelda.

"Well I can't explain why it tastes delicious," Zelda giggled. "It just is. It's cranberry!"

"It's _disgusting_," Link sneered. "I'll stick to my chocolate milk and apple juice, thank you."

"Sure thing," Zelda laughed back. "It was really nice getting to have a coffee with you. I like it when we can just go out to coffee or to a restaurant and stuff like that. Just to spend the day together. We haven't really gotten to do that the past couple weeks because of exams."

"Tell me about it," Link sighed. "I'm glad you're doing well though, Zel. You were pretty stressed."

"I know, I know," Zelda said with a tone of embarrassment in her voice. "Don't rub it in."

Link stopped on the path and turned to face Zelda. He was wearing nothing but a smile on his face as he looked at her. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips before saying, "You." He kissed her again. "Are." And finally, he kissed her a third time. "Perfect."

Zelda giggled lightly. "If you say so. I'm not going to believe it anytime soon."

"Well, you should," Link whispered. He brushed a light hand on Zelda's cheek and looked longingly into her bright blue eyes. He started to lean in, ready to give her a _real _kiss, one filled with passion and love – everything that he felt towards her – when his phone rang.

Link stopped. He let out a sigh of annoyance before retrieving his phone from his pocket. His caller ID said it was Shade calling. Link grumbled something to himself before answering the phone.

"Shade? This had better be good, I'm on a date with Zel-"

"Link, I figured out the code," Shade said.

Link blinked and stared into space for a moment. He had completely forgotten Shade was going to decipher the code that was on Uzuki's blog, so he was taken aback and slightly confused for a few seconds by Shade's words. In a split moment, he remembered what he was talking about.

"Oh, you did?" Link asked. "Well, what was it?"

Link listened with a racing heart and a worried mind as Shade relayed the message word-for-word back to him.


	51. Valentine's Day

**Hi guys- **

***gets shot a million times* **

**Guess who's life decided to take a shit on this fanfic author? :D"" So from a combination of writer's block, getting a job, and just feeling like total crap, this chapter took waaaay longer to write than it should have. But! It's a 7,000+ word chapter SO considering I'm already halfway through Chapter 52, it should last you guys until I get the next chapter up :)**

**Sorry again for such a long wait guys, I didn't intend to take this long ; -; But at least the chapter's up, and at least you guys weren't stuck waiting for like, a 2000 word chapter. It's got a lot in it so hopefully it makes up for the long wait (but it probably doesn't *cries*) **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 51: Valentine's Day – What a Pain in the Ass! **

My name is Shade Kokiri. I'm the middle brother in a set of triplet, fraternal boys, so we don't all share the same extremely sexy looks as me, unfortunately. Oni – the oldest – isn't that bad looking, but Link – the youngest – is ugly as sin. But it's not even ironic that Link has a girlfriend, considering Oni's too big of a diehard bookworm to even _consider _getting laid.

I like to cause shit around school and home, especially when it comes to making my baby brother's life a living hell. Call it brotherly love, if you will, but I just love seeing that guy squirm. I have a girlfriend named Ren, who is just as bit daring, mischievous, and good-looking as I am. She dated Link at one point, but they broke up because apparently Link was too afraid to have sex. Was that it? I dunno, I don't care enough to keep that kind of information in my brain.

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, even though I'm what people call a "delinquent" and a "no-good troublemaker", I really am quite the casanova. I'm _good _with the ladies, and it shows by the girls I end up with. Whether it's being good in bed or just good in general, I treat my girlfriends the way they deserve to be treated because I really do care about them.

There's just one day in particular I can't stand because while I love making my girl happy, this is "put the guys down and make them feel like they're not good enough for you and that you have a million other guys that are waiting to go out with you – when there really aren't – and you should be lucky that you're the one to get me" day (Okay, so that's what the day is like for _me _at least, don't judge).

Valentine's Day.

And I must say, it is a pain in the ass.

* * *

Shade closed his locker and locked it up with the padlock on the door before swinging his bag over his shoulder and going out on a hunt for Ren. The hallways were filled with students going to their next class, a lot of them with their boyfriends and girlfriends, ready for the romantic banter that Valentine's Day usually brought.

Shade took out his phone and sent a text to Ren.

_Hey Ren, do you want to go somewhere nice for dinner tonight? My treat. _

It only took a few moments for her to reply.

_Sure, where to? _

Shade replied.

_There's a really nice restaurant just a couple blocks away from here. It's got a really nice set-up and I hear the food is great. _

_Yeah, sure, I'd love to, _the reply from Ren read. Shade smiled before putting his phone into his pocket and heading to his last class, Visual Basic. He found the course relatively easy, so it only took him a short amount of time to finish the day's assignment; then he could spend the rest of class relaxing, if Ganondorf – who also shared the class with him – would let him.

When Shade made it to the computer lab, he found Ganondorf already sitting at his computer, a painful look on his face as he looked at his computer screen.

"I don't get _any _of this shit, Shade," Ganondorf grumbled.

"You never do," Shade replied in a low mutter. He seated himself at his own computer next to Ganondorf's and took a peek at his friend's computer monitor. "Alright, what is it _this _time?"

"I'm trying to create a program that will add together any two numbers that the user enters into two separate text boxes and display the final calculation; but I have no idea how to make the program use any number from the text box."

Shade sighed. "You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding."

"Shade, I'm not taking this class 'cause I want to. But anything's better than French, an English class I've already taken, and Family Living."

"Alright, alright, I don't need the backtalk," Shade said. "All you have to do is make two separate integers – one for each text box – and make both integers equal the text of each text box that it applies to. That way the integer remains open and it can be whatever number is entered into its own text box. It should be common sense."

Ganondorf sighed. "I still don't really get what you're saying."

Shade replied with his own sigh, and then took Ganondorf's keyboard so that he could type the code in.

_Dim intX As Integer, intY As Integer, intFinal As Integer_

_intX = Text Box 1 . Text_

_intY = Text Box 2 . Text_

_intFinal = intX + intY _

_lbl Final Calculation . Text = intFinal_

"There, program done," Shade said. "Now that code block will activate when you enter the numbers into the text boxes and hit the [ENTER] button. Now just add the 'End Program' code function into the [EXIT] button process code block and your assignment will be finished."

Ganondorf sat there and stared at his computer monitor. ". . . What's an 'End Program' code function again . . . ?"

Shade growled out loud and walked away. "I'm not even going to bother; you're on your own."

Ganondorf sighed. "I don't know how you find all of this mumbo-jumbo _easy_."

"Ganondorf, a grade _nine _student could do this," Shade sighed. "You're just an idiot. Half of Visual Basic is common sense. You wouldn't last two seconds in C++."

"See, this is why _you're _the computer nerd," Ganondorf replied.

"Again, all common sense," Shade muttered as he turned his attention to his own computer. The class was completely online-based, meaning he accessed all of his lessons and assignments on the internet, and even spoke to his teacher through instant messaging and email. He didn't talk to his teacher much, seeing as Visual Basic wasn't that difficult for him, but sometimes he'd have fun conversations with him anyway.

Shade took a seat at his own computer and opened up his own project for an assignment he was hoping to have done in a few minutes.

"Hey, Ganon, what do you think Ren and I should do for Valentine's Day?" Shade asked his friend who was panicking over a project just one seat away. "We're going out to dinner, but I want to do something extra special because it's our first Valentine's Day together."

Ganondorf shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. Bang her in the back of your car or something."

"Ganon, I'm serious," Shade grumbled as he began typing away on his computer, working on a block of code that would allow him to deal random Blackjack cards for the Blackjack program he had to make. "I really want to do something special for her. Are you and Nabooru doing anything?"

"I'm taking her to this movie she's been wanting to see," Ganondorf replied. "You know, the one about the girl who falls in love with the zombie? I dunno, it's kind of weird, but I don't mind seeing it, especially if Nabooru wants to see it. Might not be so bad."

"Fucking zombie love shipping," Shade sighed. "It's almost as bad as that human and vampire fad from a few years ago. Humanity never ceases to annoy me."

"I'll let you know if it's worth seeing or not," Ganondorf chuckled.

Shade typed a line of code before leaning back in his chair. "I just want to think of something extra special for Ren. I really care about her, you know? She deserves something great."

Ganondorf tapped his fingers against his desk, trying to think of ideas for Shade. "Why not ice skating? The outdoor rink is still open; I'm sure that's something Ren would love doing."

Shade thought about it for a moment, and then smiled. "I suck ass at skating but I think Ren would like it, too. Thanks, Ganon. I owe you one."

"Help me with this new project and we'll call it even," Ganondorf grumbled.

Rolling his eyes, Shade sat down next to his friend, new ideas of fun things to do with Ren racing through his mind.

At the end of the class when the dismissal bell rang, Shade met up with Ren in the lobby.

"So, dinner, huh?" Ren asked him.

"Yeah, sure," Shade replied with a smile. "But that's not until later tonight. First, I want to take you somewhere else."

Ren raised an eyebrow at him before asking suspiciously, ". . . Where?"

* * *

"Ice skating? You wanted to go _ice skating?_"

Shade smiled. "Yeah! It was Ganondorf's idea. Have you ever been ice skating before?"

Ren giggled. "I used to take lessons. What about _you?_"

Shade turned red. "I, uh . . . n-no, I haven't. I was kinda hoping you wouldn't have been ice skating before either so that I wouldn't look dumb . . ."

Ren laughed out loud. "You're so weird. Come on, I'll help you."

Shade and Ren rented out a pair of freshly-sharpened ice skates at the registration counter and then paid their fee to use the rink as well. After tying their skates up tight, they walked out onto the ice together, Ren holding Shade tightly so that he wouldn't fall. Shade wobbled around on the ice, and soon quickly grabbed onto the wall that surrounded the rink.

Ren laughed before helping him regain his balance. "Don't force yourself to balance. Just do it naturally. Keep your feet close together."

Shade did as she told him, pulling his feet in close.

"Good," Ren said. "Now slide one of your feet forward. Then the other one."

Shade obeyed her instructions, sliding his right foot forward first, and then his left.  
"Good! Now keep doing that," Ren said.

His hands still tightly gripping the wall, Shade continued the sliding motions of his skates, and soon had a rhythmic movement going along the ice.

"Now here comes the fun part," Ren sighed. "Let go of the wall."

Shade kept his hands on the wall. "I really don't want-"

"Just trust me, okay?" Ren wrapped an arm around his waist.

Very slowly, Ren pulled Shade away from the wall, and she helped him along the ice one step at a time, until they started to increase their speed and skate faster along the ice.

"See? You're getting the hang of it!" Ren said happily.

Shade smiled. "Yeah, this isn't so bad!"

The two of them laughed together as they picked up speed once more and then continued skating around the rink within each other's arms.

They were on their fourth round around the rink when someone bumped into Shade, nearly knocking him over on top of Ren. The person was shouting something into a megaphone.

"Hey, watch it!" Shade yelled, but the person ignored him. It was a woman with tan skin and short brown hair, and she was wearing some sort of mask over her face.

"Do not fight the forever flood, of paranoia, hate, and fear!" the girl shouted into the megaphone as she skated. "Because I will be with you all, I'll always be right here! We'll take the rabbits together, and together eat them alive! We'll fill our hearts with the joy of slaughter, the joy of their tortured cries!"

The girl continued to skate fluidly around the rink, shouting through the megaphone. Soon Shade saw that there were other people skating with her, following her as she recited some sort of poem.

"And as they lay face down in the dirt, you will see these rabbits were friends! The ones you loved, the ones who loved you, who cried your name to the bitter end! And then you'll try your very damnedest, you'll try to separate us! Until you realize that us is me, and with me there is no us!"

The woman jumped up onto the low wall of the rink and sat there as she continued her speech into the megaphone. The others sat with her as well.

"So you millions, scared and weak, prepare for some devastation! Some blood-soaked hands, some broken bones, and mass body counts across your nation!"

Shade's eyes widened when he saw the woman remove her mask. A scar on the right side of her face, bright brown eyes, and short curls framing her head. And most of all, the recognition that struck Shade the moment he laid eyes on her – Uzuki. He watched her as she removed her skates and threw them out on the ice.

Uzuki lowered her voice to a tone that was frail and cautious when she spoke in the megaphone again, "Because I am the monster in your head, the beast that hides beneath your bed. The axe-wielding man crossing your street, the bloody hands that tear the meat." She locked eyes with Shade and Ren. "Try to stop me if you can. But you'll break the habits of man."

At that final line, Uzuki turned around on the wall so that she was on the outside and stepped down onto the ground, shutting off her megaphone before walking away without another word.

Shade held Ren close. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah . . . I'm fine," Ren replied in a whisper. "What was that? Was that Uzuki?"

"I think so," Shade sighed. "At least now we know where she is. But what the hell was all of that?"

Ren curled herself up into a hug, clutching herself tightly as her body shivered from the cold and sudden fear that was rising in her chest. "How about we get out of here? Let's go to that restaurant you mentioned. After that performance, I don't really want to stick around here long . . ."

Shade nodded before leaning down to kiss her. "Sure thing."

* * *

"What the fuck was that, #026?" the man with the long black hair yelled at Uzuki, who had put her mask back on. The two of them were sitting behind a bulletin board in the center of town.

"What? I did as the trial ordered me to do," Uzuki replied. "I recited the poem. Come on, #027, you're not mad because I took my mask off, are you?"

"We can't let anyone see us!" the man hissed. "We could get eliminated!"

"Darling, calm down, okay?" Uzuki sighed as she leaned forward and kissed him. "Who's the one who's survived the longest?"

The man grumbled, "You."

"Aaand who's the one who was voted in as a leader?"

Another grumble from the man. "You."

"Aaaand who's the one that had to give you protection so that the others wouldn't put you up for voting as the runt of the group and thus lead to elimination?"

The man sighed. ". . . You. But I probably wouldn't have been voted in anyway!"

"Trust me, okay, sweetheart? I know what I'm doing. Besides, nothing bad happens to the people that are eliminated. I just want to win."

"So do I, but we're not going to win this if you do stuff like that," the man growled. "You know too many people. You've indulged too much in society. That's exactly what we're _not _supposed to do."

"I passed the third trial, didn't I? Cutting off ties with a friend?" Uzuki said. "I still have the recording of the phone call. Poor Zant. I didn't want to do it, but how else would we pull out on top? I could have cut off ties with _you_, but I wouldn't have made it this far without you."

#027 shrugged his shoulders, remembering the phone conversation that Uzuki had recorded, the phone conversation in which she had cut off ties with Zant, all a part of the trials.

"_Piss off, Zant. You're nothing but a burden. I can handle myself without you."_

"_Uzuki? What's going on?" _

"_Nothing's going on at all. You're just annoying. I have no need for someone like you." _

"_Uzuki!" _

Uzuki cut through Mikumi's stream of thoughts. "I'm still counting on you to throw the others off the trail, okay, Mikumi?"

The man named Mikumi nodded. "I know. I'll handle it tomorrow. Let's just get through today without getting our insides removed. We'll submit our video proof to the head rabbit and then get the next task. We're already a day behind the others, we need to catch up."

Uzuki smiled and leaned over to him again so that she could kiss him softly. "Happy Valentine's Day, love."

* * *

Mikau and Lulu stood in line at the concession stand, where they purchased their tickets as well as a large bag of popcorn and a large soda to share.

"T-Thanks for going out with me today, Lulu," Mikau said nervously. "I know the last time we saw each other at Alexis' party was less than pleasant . . . I'm sorry about Ruto and everything."  
"Apology accepted," Lulu said with a smile. "Besides, I've been wanting to see this movie for a while. I don't think zombie love shipping has ever been done before."

"Nah, but they probably ripped it off the vampire love shipping they had a few years ago," Mikau sighed.

Lulu smiled, but then something caught her attention. She peered over at the ticket booth where people were handing in their movie tickets and immediately recognized both Ganondorf's and Nabooru's bright red hair in the crowd.

"Hey, I think that's Ganondorf and Nabooru over there," Lulu pointed out.

"Well, that's just great," Mikau grumbled. "I can't stand Ganondorf."

"Don't worry, he's nice when he's around Nabooru," Lulu snickered. "It'll be fine."

Mikau and Lulu took their food and tickets and then went to the ticket booth. The employee at the booth ripped their tickets and then instructed them to the correct theatre. Mikau's heart sunk when he saw that Ganondorf and Nabooru were in the same theatre as them, about to watch the same movie.

_Mikau, don't let it ruin your evening,_ he thought to himself. _This is about you and Lulu. Don't screw this up. _

Mikau and Lulu found their seats near the centre of the theatre. There weren't a lot of other people in the theatre yet, but they were a few minutes early anyway. They saw that Ganondorf and Nabooru were a few seats behind them.

They waited in the theatre for the movie to start, while other people started entering the room and taking their seats. By the time the lights dimmed and the previews started, there were about thirty people in the theatre; not a lot, but some. Mikau preferred it when there were less people in a theatre anyway.

When the movie started, Mikau relaxed into his chair, and noticed that Lulu was sitting closer to him than he had anticipated. He tried to calm his nervous and rapidly beating heart as he stayed where he was seated, allowing Lulu to get in close.

They continued to sit in silence as they watched the movie. Mikau could hear Ganondorf laughing from a few seats behind them, either at the movie or from a conversation with Nabooru. Nonetheless, it was an odd feeling to be in the same room as Ganondorf without rude jokes or insults being thrown around – although Mikau never really got wrapped up in the affairs between Ganondorf and Link – and the last time he had noticed this change was during Alexis' party.

_I guess he can be civil sometimes . . . although it's probably only because he's got Nabooru attached to him_, Mikau thought. _Either way, at least he's not bothering us. _

It was about a half-hour into the movie when Mikau started to hear some mumbling behind him. When he turned his gaze to see where the sound was coming from, he saw a scrawny man sitting behind him, grumbling to himself, and lighting a cigarette right in the theatre.

"Hey, could you put that out?" Mikau growled to the man.

"Whatever," he grumbled. "Asshole."

"_Sir_," Mikau hissed.

"Hey, _jackass_."

In all of the confusion, Mikau hadn't noticed Ganondorf move up a row, so he was now sitting directly behind the disruptive man.

"Why don't you move your ass and leave these two nice folks alone?" Ganondorf growled angrily. "Unless you want me to move it for you? Because it's been a while since I've picked my teeth out with a decent toothpick."

The man scowled at Ganondorf before putting his cigarette to his lips again, blowing out a smoke ring afterwards. "You've got some nerve talking to me like that!"

"Do I? Because I'm pretty sure I've squashed bugs bigger than you." Ganondorf snatched the cigarette out of the man's hand, took a drag from it himself, and then dowsed the burning end on his tongue before flicking it away. He spit the ashes away before grabbing the man by his jacket collar. "Now do we understand each other, or do I still need to make myself more clear?"

The man stared back at Ganondorf with a terrified look in his eyes. "O-Okay, fine! Just put me down, dammit!"

Ganondorf set the man down. The man proceeded to brush himself off, and then he hastily pushed past Ganondorf out into the aisle of the theatre and then out the door.

"People sometimes," Ganondorf muttered.

"Uh . . . thanks," Mikau said. He never thought he'd hear those words come out of his mouth when talking to Ganondorf.

"No problem. You're, uh . . . Mikau, right?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Hey, Lulu, I didn't know you were going out with this guy," Ganondorf said, now directing his attention to Lulu.

Lulu shrugged her shoulders. "We're not officially dating, but the night's not over yet."

Mikau's heart did a flip at the sound of her words. He tried to keep his face from turning red from the excitement of it all.

"Well, I hope you two don't run into any more trouble," Ganondorf said. "See you later."

"Y-Yeah, you too," Mikau replied before Ganondorf turned and went back to his chair near the back of the theatre.

Mikau slumped back into his chair and let out a sigh. He took a handful of popcorn in one hand and his pop in the other and then muttered, "Link would have fainted at the sight of Ganondorf being nice," before stuffing the popcorn in his mouth and then taking a sip from his drink.

* * *

When Alexis met up with Kafei in the centre of town, she beamed at the sight of him holding a rose in his hand.

"For you, my dear!" Kafei said with a wide grin.

"Kafei, I swear to god, you're so cheesy!" Alexis giggled out loud.

"Only the best for you," Kafei said as he handed the rose to her. He held his hand out to her. "Shall we?" When Alexis gave Kafei her hand, he lifted it and kissed it.

Alexis turned a bright red. "Kafei! You're too sweet. Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Kafei said.

The two walked together through the streets of the city, Alexis' and Kafei's hands locked together the entire way with the rose held tightly in Alexis' other hand. The two laughed and smiled together as they shared a conversation with one another during the relaxing walk. The sun was bright, and the sky was turning orange, greeting the sunset that would soon lead to night.

The first place Kafei and Alexis stopped at was a coffee shop. It was a small building nestled between two larger buildings, and had a few tables set up outside for people to sit at.

"Coffee?" Alexis asked.

Kafei shook his head. "Nope, wrong guess. Come on inside." With her hand still in his, Kafei led Alexis into the shop and sat her down at a table for two. Once she was seated, Kafei went to the counter and ordered two hot chocolates. The drinks were topped with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle, and they were in nice glass cups.

Kafei sat down across from Alexis and handed her the drink. "Go on, try it," he urged her.

Alexis took a sip from the drink and then smiled widely. "This is delicious!"

"The guy that makes hot chocolate here is a total expert," Kafei said. "Isn't that right, Mikumi?" he called back to the man who was now wiping a cup clean with a rag.

"I wouldn't say _expert_," the man said before setting the cup down. "But people seem to enjoy it, so I'm not going to complain."

"You know the barista?" Alexis giggled at Kafei.

"Yeah, he's the reason why I like this place so much," Kafei snickered. "His drinks are the best I've had. And they always seem better every time I have 'em."

Mikumi was about to reply, but he stopped when he saw the cafe door open. A tall man with short hair and sideburns entered the building, and smiled when he saw Mikumi.

"Hey, Mikumi!" he called over to the long-haired barista with a wave. "Since when were you back in town?"

"I've been here for a few months," Mikumi muttered as he began cleaning another glass. "Although I'm probably not going to be around for much longer. At least not in this area. Might head back to Kakariko."

Kafei stared at the tall man with the sideburns. "Aren't you Uzuki's boyfriend or something?"

Mikumi coughed loudly. The other man nodded. "I guess I am, yeah. I'm Peter."

"Ah yeah, I remember you now," Kafei said. "Speaking of which, have you seen Uzuki around lately? She hasn't been around, and Link's been worried sick over her disappearance."

"Uzuki just likes to run around sometimes," Mikumi snickered.

"Are you sure? What if she's hurt or something?" Peter asked worriedly.

"Peter, the sooner you let go, the sooner Uzuki will be better off," Mikumi hissed. He didn't say another word before heading into the kitchen.

"What did he mean by that?" Kafei wondered aloud. "I've never seen him like that before . . ."

"He's just being sour," Peter growled. "Either way, I'm looking for Uzuki too. I'm worried that she might be hurt, or worse." He pulled a notepad out of his inside jacket pocket and wrote something down on a fresh piece of paper. Afterwards, he handed the piece of paper to Kafei. "My phone number. Text me or something if you find out where she is."

"Uh . . . sure," Kafei said, taking the piece of paper from Peter and glancing at it before folding it up and sticking it in his pocket.

"Valentine's Day is pretty lonely without her, that's for sure," Peter sighed. "But I hope you two enjoy yours."

"Yeah, thanks," Kafei said.

When Kafei and Alexis finished their hot chocolate, Kafei approached the counter to pay the bill. When he offered the money to Mikumi, Mikumi shooed him away.

"No, no, that one's on the house for you two," Mikumi said with a smile. "Any friend of Uzuki's is a friend of mine."

"Ah . . . thanks," Kafei replied with his own smile. "I hope you find Uzuki."

"She'll turn up eventually," Mikumi sighed. "She always does."

* * *

Mikumi sat down at the cafe table outside of his shop, right across from where Peter was sitting. The moment their eyes met, Mikumi gave him a sharp glare.

"Really? You two are dating?" Mikumi growled. "That's the best lie you could make to make yourself feel better about your feeble little existence?"

"Is it really a lie?" Peter replied.

Before Peter could even anticipate it, Mikumi had drawn a knife from the inside of his jacket and had it jammed into the table, handle up.

"This isn't a fucking joke, you worthless piece of trash!" Mikumi yelled. He stood up from his chair and slammed his hands down on the desk. "You're pushing it, you know that?! I could kill you right now if we weren't out in the middle of a public area!"

Peter stared back at him, his expression calm and relaxed. "But I know you wouldn't," he said with a teasing smile.

Mikumi quickly pried the knife out of the wooden table and put it to Peter's neck in a flash. "Are you _really _going to test me? You have no _idea _what's going on."

Peter sighed before folding his arms and crossing one of his legs over the other. He stared up at the sky for a moment, as if pondering a thought, and then soon had his eyes back on Mikumi's. "You know where she is, don't you?"

"I'm not playing this game with you right now," Mikumi sneered. "So why don't you just crawl back into your happy little world where everything is perfect and leave us the fuck alone? You're poking your nose into things that don't concern you, and in the end, doing so is just going to get you fucking killed."

"By you, I can assume?" Peter challenged.

"Me, her, Him; either way, I've already called dibs on your _head_."

"I'm terrified," Peter mumbled.

Mikumi let out a loud snarl before backing away with his knife and taking off for the nearest building away from the cafe. When he found a wall on the other side of the street, he ran up the side of it onto the rooftop, and then leaped to the next one until he disappeared among the rooftops.

Peter rolled his eyes before taking a sip from his fruit punch. "Such anger issues."

* * *

"I can't believe the fucking nerve of some fucking people!"

Uzuki watched Mikumi pace back and forth, grumbling and yelling his own thoughts aloud to himself as he tightly gripped his knife in his hand, stabbing the walls of the room they were in every time he passed them.

"Mikumi, this may be a motel, but the manager still isn't going to like you making holes in the walls," Uzuki sighed. She got up from her chair and wrapped her arms around Mikumi from behind, her hands resting on his shoulders. "Now why don't you take a seat and calm yourself before you literally explode? How about a cup of tea or something to calm your nerves?"

Mikumi stabbed his knife into the wall so hard that it stuck, and then did as Uzuki said, sitting down on the bed. Uzuki sat with him and began to rub his shoulders and play with his hair, trying to calm him from his state of anger.

"Peter's an idiot, Mikumi," Uzuki sighed. "You shouldn't take him so seriously. He thinks that because we hung out maybe once or twice that automatically means we're dating. Yeah, right."

"I'm going to fucking slit his throat, Uzuki," Mikumi said before snapping his neck off to the side. "And then I'm going to skin him like a fucking animal! And then-"

"Ssshhh, it's okay," Uzuki hushed him, kissing his neck. "It's alright. Deep breaths. Maybe if he hangs around me enough, He'll go after him and he'll get impaled on a tree. I just don't want to be putting _you _in danger."

"He walked into my fucking cafe like he fucking owned the place, Uzuki!" Mikumi yelled. "And then he went on all about how he "misses" you and how you two are dating!"

"Don't worry, Mikumi, he'll be dead soon enough," Uzuki said in a calming voice. "Who knows, if He goes after him, maybe then it'll distract Him from us for a little bit. At least long enough for us to finish the trials."

"I'm pretty sure even He wouldn't be stupid enough to chase after an airhead like him," Mikumi growled. He pulled away from Uzuki's arms so he could stand up to pace some more.

Uzuki rolled her eyes. "Look, Mikumi, let's just focus on what's important, alright? The trial for today is an easy one, and dare I say it, suiting considering it's Valentine's Day. We have to catch up to the others, otherwise we'll be eliminated, and I kind of want to win this thing." She stood up from the bed and approached him, wrapping her arms around him once again and kissing him softly.

"I know, me too," Mikumi sighed. "But . . ." Mikumi let out a loud scream before pulling out another knife and spinning around, throwing it dead-centre into the door. "If I see that idiot again, he's dead!"

* * *

Link walked Zelda out of the restaurant into the cool nighttime air. They had just had a Chinese dinner together and were now headed back to the school campus.

Zelda reached into her pocket and pulled out the fortune cookie she had saved for later. She broke the cookie in half and then pulled out the slip of paper that was hiding inside.

"Your kindness is met with its own in return," she read. "I hate the fortune cookies that don't really tell your fortune," she sighed. "It just seems to be a waste of a fortune."

"Ah well, fortune cookies are made in a factory anyway," Link said. "I don't think there's any reason to actually believe the fortunes they give out. I'm more in it for the cookie part." He took out his own fortune cookie and broke it open. He ate the cookie first, and then read the piece of paper that remained. "True love is about to blossom . . . well, that's kind of silly."

"Well, you're nice," Zelda muttered sarcastically.

Link stopped and pulled Zelda into a tight embrace. "I'm already in love, silly. But maybe it just means that I'm going to end up loving you more?"

Zelda's heart danced in her chest at Link's words. "Maybe."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Link sighed. "I love you more and more every day. So maybe I'm not truly in love yet; maybe this is only going to get better and better."

Zelda smiled and then nuzzled her nose against his. "I see no reason for it not to." Then she kissed him softly. "How about we go back to my room and just relax for the rest of the day? We'll watch a movie, eat some popcorn . . . it'll be nice."

"Sure thing," Link replied happily. Then he started walking ahead again, keeping Zelda's hand within his as they walked down the street together.

* * *

Uzuki finished wrapping up the gift she had made for Mikumi. She had drawn a special card for him, and had created a small wool figure of a kitten for him as well. The third item was a picture of the two of them tied to the top of the box.

Uzuki crawled into Mikumi's bed where he was sleeping soundly. It was only about seven in the evening, but Mikumi was always catching up on his rest with naps throughout the day, and would usually be found sleeping if there wasn't anything else for him to do.

"Mikumiiiii," Uzuki whispered softly into his ear. "It's time to wake up . . . we've gotta finish this trial . . ."

Mikumi's eyes opened slowly. He looked at Uzuki and smiled warmly. "Mornin'," he sighed.

"It's seven in the evening, dear," Uzuki snickered. "I have something for you." She held the small box out to him.

"Oh?" Mikumi took the box from Uzuki's hands and untied the ribbon on the top. He smiled at the photo that had been attached to the box, and then set it aside on the bed. He pulled open the folds on the box and then reached into it, pulling out Uzuki's hand-drawn card as well as the wool kitten.

Mikumi went silent. He stared at the kitten, and the kitten stared back at him.

". . . W-What," he squeaked.

"Do you like it?" Uzuki asked. "I made it myself. He's not perfect, but I did my best . . ."

Mikumi pulled Uzuki into a tight hug. "You're . . . you're such a _butt!" _

Uzuki smiled widely. "So you like it?"

Mikumi nodded in response, hugging her even tighter before pulling away so he could kiss her. Then he hugged the small wool kitten to his chest and gave it a kiss too.

"I love you," Mikumi whispered to Uzuki before kissing her again. "I love you, I love you, I love you," he repeated over and over again, kissing her each time. Then he pulled her into another tight hug, his arms wrapped tightly around her backside.

"We'll stay here one more night, okay?" Uzuki whispered back. "But then we have to move again. We have to keep moving. Together, okay?"

Mikumi nodded. "Together." Then he smiled and pulled her into a passionate kiss before falling with her into the blankets.

* * *

"Ren, would you hurry up?! We're gonna be late!"

"Well I'm sorry for trying to look _nice _for you!"

Shade growled to himself from the other side of the bathroom door. He was sitting out in the hallway against the bathroom door, waiting for Ren to finish getting ready for dinner. She had been in there for at least a half hour, and they were already ten minutes late for dinner; normally Shade would have let her take her time, but he had made reservations at a really nice restaurant a few streets away, and it would take at least ten minutes of walking to get there – he just didn't want them to lose their table.

"Ren, you don't need twenty layers of make-up! We're going to lose our reservation! And I've already paid for it!" Shade yelled.

Ren's voice yelled back from behind the bathroom door, "Calm down, Shade, I'm finishing up!"

"You said that ten minutes ago!"

Suddenly, the bathroom door pulled out from behind him, causing him to fall down to the floor, landing hard on his back.

"Satisfied?" Ren sneered as she stepped out over him, brushing a final layer of dark eyeshadow over her eyes with one hand and looking at herself in her pocket mirror with the other hand as she walked.

Shade growled to himself before getting off the floor and brushing himself off. He was wearing one of his nicer black dress shirts with a tie and a dark pair of jeans. His long black hair was tied back into a ponytail, and he was wearing black loafers that he only wore for special, necessary occasions because they bothered his feet after long periods of time.

And while Ren didn't seem to want to part with the bathroom mirror, he had to admit that Ren did look good for the amount of time she spent in there. Her blond hair was brushed smooth down her back, with a few strands in the front curled into flimsy ringlets, and there was a thin layer of red-pink lipstick on her lips. She was wearing a black dress that had a red cloth tied around the centre just below her chest, and it tied at the back and separated into two smaller ribbon-like strands that flowed gracefully with her steps. She was wearing knee-high black boots that had three-inch heels and straps on the sides, and her trimmed fingernails were glossed over with transparent nail polish to make them shimmer. Finally, she had a pair of dangling, dazzling earrings hanging from her ears, and a matching bracelet wrapped around her wrist.

"Alright, I'm ready to go," Ren sighed as she grabbed her jacket off the door.

Shade grabbed his own jacket and then opened the door before walking out with Ren next to him.

When Shade and Ren were out of the girls' dorm building, they walked together down the snow-cleared sidewalk. Now that January was gone and they were halfway through February, the snow was starting to melt and disappear with anticipation of the coming spring. With spring right around the corner, the night weather was tolerable and only had a slight chill to it every so often.

Ren didn't say much during the walk to the restaurant. Neither did Shade. However Shade was mostly concerned with getting to the restaurant on time so that they wouldn't lose their table – he didn't want to miss out on a nice dinner with Ren, especially after she had gone to all the trouble of dressing for the occasion. He just had to hope for a miracle.

When they arrived, Shade practically held his breath when they rushed inside and waited to see if their table had been taken. He crossed his fingers behind his back as one of the hostesses came back to tell them the news.

"We're deeply sorry, but we had to give your table away," the woman said, trying to keep a straight face. "We can put you on a waiting list if you wish to wait and see if you can get another table."

Shade sighed. "That's fine," he replied. He knew that the waiting lists at these kinds of restauarants were five miles long and they wouldn't get in for hours. "We'll just go somewhere else. Do you think I could get my money back?"

"I'm afraid not," the hostess sighed. "The money you paid us was for holding the table and restricting others from using it. We held the table for an additional thirty minutes as well, so unfortunately we cannot refund you the money you gave us for holding a table for you."

Shade sighed in defeat. "I was afraid of that. Alright, thank you, ma'am."

And at that, Shade and Ren left the restaurant, both of them silent until they were at least a block away from the restaurant.

"And that's what happens," Shade growled angrily before pulling out a cigarette, lighting it, and sticking it between his lips.

Ren scowled at him. "I already said this earlier, Shade! I'm sorry for trying to look nice for you!"

"Ren, you _knew_ we had the table reserved for nine o'clock! But you insisted on staying in the bathroom for an hour and a half!" Shade yelled.

"Shade, _I'm sorry_, but I can't do anything to change that now!"

Shade didn't reply. Instead, he took a long, deep breath of air, and then shook his head. "Whatever. This night was for nothing. I'm going home."

Ren stared at him, a hint of sadness in her eyes before it disappeared and was replaced with sheer anger. "Fine, then! Do whatever you want!" Then she spun around on her heels and walked away, turning the corner and disappearing.

Shade let out another long sigh. He pulled out a box of cigarettes from his back pocket, lit one, and inhaled the smoke from it before exhaling it out in the form of a smoke ring.

"Fucking pain in the ass . . ."


	52. Everything is Fine (?)

**Yo, **

**I kept putting off working on this chapter because I had so much to do with midterms . . . then I finally got around to working on it and turns out I only had like, 50 words left to write before the chapter was over. **

**#awks**

**Also, I've been working on comics a lot more often. Just kinda doodling manga strips here and there ~ (OCL manga anyone?)**

**Enjoy! Don't forget to drop a review if you have time! I love hearing feedback from all of you :) **

**- Shinigami-Zelda-sama**

**The Legend of Zelda: Only Chosen Love**

**Chapter 52: Everything Is Fine ( ? ) **

Link took a sip from his morning coffee before reading over the code again.

"_47 65 74 20 6f 75 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 74 65 72 2c 20 6d 79 20 6c 69 74 74 6c 65 20 66 69 73 68 69 65 73 20 61 6e 64 20 6d 65 72 6d 61 69 64 73 2e 20 54 68 65 20 63 68 61 6c 6c 65 6e 67 65 73 20 68 61 76 65 20 62 65 67 75 6e 2e 20"_

Link took out his cellphone and double-checked the translation that Shade had provided. The message itself made barely any sense to him in context, but he could bet that there was some sort of metaphorical sense to it.

"_Get out of the water, my little fishies and mermaids. The challenges have begun."_

Link leaned back in his computer chair, staring at the screen in front of him. He had searched the translation online to see if it were some kind of quote, but the only results that appeared were random websites that had similar tags, so he could assume that it was Uzuki's own words.

_But what the hell do they mean? _Link thought. _What "challenges"? And that entire first sentence makes no sense when paired with the second one . . . _

Link rubbed his forehead where he could feel the onset of a headache arising. He ignored his coffee for a moment so he could take a sip of water in an attempt to clear his head, and then he set his computer and phone aside so he could get up and leave his room. Out in the main area of his dorm room, Sheik was on the couch studying for a Health test. Being in that class with Sheik meant that Link would have to take the same test, but he wasn't too worried about it, especially considering he didn't give a care for what his grades were in Health class anyway.

"Ah, finally stepping out of your cave, I see," Sheik muttered sarcastically as Link went over to the fridge to search for something to eat.

"Hush," Link sighed. "I've been trying to decipher Uzuki's message all morning. I put it off to today so I

could focus on spending time with Zelda yesterday. Speaking of which-" Link took a can of root beer and snapped the lid open, the pop fizzing inside, "- did you and Malon do anything for Valentine's Day?"

Sheik sighed. "Nah, Malon ended up coming down with the flu and she was bedridden all day. But we're going out to dinner next weekend to make up for it."

"That's too bad," Link said. "Zelda and I just got Chinese food. Then we went to her dorm and watched movies; Navi was out for a girl's-night-out with Ciela, Fi, and Tatl, so she was out the entire night while Zelda and I hung out."

"Ooh, alone in a room with Zel, huh?" Sheik smirked. He raised his voice so that it was higher-pitched and spoke with a more flamboyant accent, "Darling, tell me aaallll about it!"

Link rolled his eyes before walking away with the root beer in his hand, back to his room.

"Open some curtains in there, Link!" Sheik yelled at him. "Edward Cullen wasn't a pretty sight because he never exposed his box of a face to the sunlight! Wouldn't want to turn into the neighborhood creep, would you?"

Link just growled in response before shutting his door.

Now back in his room, Link sat down on his bed with his root beer in hand and laid down so he could stare up at the ceiling. He didn't really full up to do anything; it was just one of those lazy days where he wished he could sleep forever.

But unfortunately, he couldn't. Even if it was a Saturday, he felt restless and had too many things rushing through his mind at once to put his body in sleep-mode. So he laid there for minutes on end, staring up at the blank ceiling above, pondering over his many thoughts. Thoughts about Zelda, thoughts about school, thoughts about the still-missing Uzuki . . . his mind was just a rushing whirlpool of worries, random questions, and completely irrelevant thoughts that would normally strike anyone that would be staring up at a ceiling. Most of it ended up just being random banter chit-chatting away in the inner enclosures of his mind.

Link realized he was just on the brink of dozing off to sleep when he heard a door close and a set of feet walk into the dorm room, accompanied by female voices.

"Hey, Link!" he heard Sheik's voice call out to him. The voice was followed by a loud banging on his bedroom door. "You'd better get out here!"

Link did as he was told, rolling out of his bed so he could trudge to the door, open it, and head back out into the main room. The visitors were both Hena and Iza. Hena was just wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, but Iza was sporting just a sports bra with tight-fitting black spandex shorts.

"Uh, what?" Link asked. "Is there something I can help you girls with?"

"Uzuki's back home!" Hena exclaimed.

Link snapped out of his tired state at the mention of Uzuki. "She is?! When did she come back?!"

"Sometime this morning, I guess," Iza replied. "Hena and I were out for an early morning jog, and when we came back, Uzuki was sleeping on the couch. We didn't bother waking her up. But she looked like she was okay."

Link let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. If you don't mind, I'll probably stop by later to check up on her."

Iza smiled. "No problem, we'll be home all day. Uzuki sure is lucky to have friends like you. We'll see you later."

Link waved goodbye as the two girls left the dorm room together, shutting the door behind them.

"Well, that's a relief," Sheik said with a sigh. "At least now that's one worry off our shoulders, right?"

Link nodded in agreement, but he couldn't help pondering over the several thoughts that were still lingering in his mind. Where had Uzuki been this entire time? Why had she chosen to show up just out of the blue? And what did her message mean?

Link grabbed another fresh can of root beer and then threw on his shoes. He put on his winter jacket and then headed for the door with his drink in hand.

"I'm going out for a walk to clear my head, alright?" he said to Sheik. "I'll be back in a bit. I'll probably stop by Iza and Hena's on the way back so I can check up on Uzuki."

"Alright. See you," Sheik replied as he returned to his original spot on the couch, re-opening his Health textbook.

Link stepped out into the hallway and shut the door before walking down the hallway, snapping his pop can open in the process. He took a small sip and then gracefully walked down the stairs towards the first floor where the dorm exit was waiting.

Once he was outside, he started down the pathway, which was covered in a very light layer of frost, with bits of grass poking out from underneath. It was a pretty warm day, compared to the cold temperatures they had had all winter, and it gave Link a new sense of excitement for spring.

Once Link was out off the school grounds, he started to head down street, with no care as to which direction he was going or where he'd end up. His walks were always like this, and they really helped him clear his head; just so long as he could find his way home again.

Link was passing by a pizza shop when his cell phone rang in his jacket pocket. He stopped and sat on the bench outside the shop before pulling it out and checking the caller ID. It was Oni.

Letting out a groan, Link contemplated answering it until the third ring, when he finally hit the [TALK] button.

". . . Hello," Link muttered.

"Link! Glad I managed to catch you," Oni said from the other line.

"What is it?"

"Well, I've got no classes this week, so I was thinking of dropping by to say hi sometime," Oni replied.

"Uh . . . when?" Link replied, trying to stifle a disapproving groan.

"Probably later on this week. You and I and Shade can hang out or something, whenever you're free."

"Oh, geez, well my schedule is sooo full," Link muttered.

"Full of Mario Kart and getting shoved into lockers by your brother?"

Link sighed. "Alright, alright, sure. I guess I can try and squeeze you in," he said sarcastically.

"Great!" Oni said happily. "I can't wait to see the both of you."

"Mmhmm," Link mumbled. "See you later."

Before Oni could reply with his own "goodbye", Link hit the [END] button on his phone, cutting the call short. Still sitting on the bench, Link stretched his arms and legs out before finally standing up again, and decided to take a trip around the block before heading back home. Stuffing his phone into his pocket, he started down the sidewalk, forcing any thoughts about Oni's visit or Uzuki out of his mind.

* * *

It took about a half hour for Link to circle the area, and soon he was back at the entrance of the school. It was starting to snow again; snowflakes were drifting heavily from the sky and piling up on the ground, ready to give the earth a fresh layer of brand new snow.

Link was just crossing the school grounds towards his dorm when he saw his own brother trudging in the other direction, quite far from where he was walking. His motions almost seemed rather erratic and unpredictable, so Link slowly approached him to see what was happening.

"Shade, are you okay?" Link asked as he caught his brother just as he was about to fall into the snow.

Shade laughed to himself. "Just fine, bro, just fine . . ." he snickered in a low voice.

Link scowled when he saw the small vodka bottle barely hanging from his brother's fingertips. "Shade, have you been _drinking?" _

Shade shook his head, but Link could tell he was way past the line of tipsy and was just entering the state of full intoxication.

"Shade, get a hold of yourself," Link growled as he helped lift his brother up onto his shoulders so that he was leaning on him. Shade barely moved his own feet as Link dragged him through the snow. "Why the hell are you drinking out here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Shade shook his head again, still not saying anything.

"Shade, _say something!" _Link yelled.

Shade pulled away from Link and opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't get a word out before his legs gave out and he fell like a ragdoll into the snow.

"Jesus Christ, Shade, how much have you been drinking?!" Link shouted as he quickly got to the ground to help him out of the cold and wet layer of snow on the ground. A few murmurs escaped Shade's lips, but he didn't lift himself up from the ground, and it almost seemed like he _couldn't – _like he was too weak to do such a seemingly simple task.

Link turned Shade around and lifted him again so that he was leaning entirely on Shade's shoulders, one arm laid heavily over the back of Link's neck, and the rest of his body leaning against Link's left side.

"It's freezing out here," Link sighed. "Come on, let's get inside before you freeze to death. You've probably already done enough damage from the drinking anyway."

Shade uttered a few more unintelligible murmurs before going silent again. He didn't say anything the entire time, even after Link brought him to his dorm room and set him down on the couch.

"Ugh," Link hissed to himself. He could smell the heavy cloud of alcohol clinging to Shade's room, hanging over them like a shroud of invisible smoke. "I don't even want to know where you got your hands on all the booze."

As usual, Shade didn't reply, and he seemed to already be between a state of sleeping and complete unconsciousness. His body laid motionless on the couch, only one leg on the couch while the other one laid on the floor; the only hint of life from him was the slight rise and fall of his chest from his breathing.

Link went to Shade's kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cupboard. He turned on the sink and waited for the water to be cold, then filled the glass completely with it.

"Shade," Link said his brother's name as he walked back to where he was sleeping on the couch. "Shade, get up. You need to drink this."

Shade only shook his head in reply.

"Shade, if you don't drink this, you're going to be feeling a _lot _worse in a couple hours," Link snapped. "Now." He forced the glass to Shade, pushing it into his hands.

Shade didn't do anything at first, but he soon gave in and drank the water down. Once it was done, Link took the glass and refilled it with more water in the kitchen, then brought it back.

"Here, another one."

Shade drank it.

After the second drink, Link refilled the glass again, but also grabbed one of Shade's water bottles and filled it up as well. He brought the third drink back to Shade, who drank it immediately, and then he set the water bottle next to the couch.

"There's some water that should last you for a bit throughout the afternoon," Link told him. "Now where's all the alcohol? I'm not leaving you with vodka hiding somewhere in your room."

When Shade didn't reply, Link let out an annoyed growl and then hurried to the kitchen. He dug through the cupboards, the drawers, and the fridge, and by the time he was done scavenging through every possible hiding place, he had found three bottles of vodka and a small bottle of whiskey.

"Where do you keep getting all this stuff?" Link groaned. "You'd better hope for your own sake I don't find any more." He was talking to himself, though, as Shade had already fallen into a deep slumber on the couch.

Link continued searching through Shade's dorm room, rooting through every dresser and digging into every nook and cranny he could lay his eyes on. Thankfully, after ten minutes of searching, he didn't find any more alcohol; the only bottles he currently had were the ones that he had found in the kitchen.

Link loaded the bottles into a plastic bag and then chucked the bag over his shoulder, gripping it tightly between a single hand as he went to the door. He looked back at Shade once, a wave of sympathy crashing into his many other emotions, and then left the dorm.

Link started down the hallway, the bag held over his shoulder like a burlap sack. It was when he was turning the corner that he nearly ran into Ren.

"Whoa, watch where you're going," Ren snapped. Her attitude lightened and was replaced by a sense of wonder when she saw the bag held over Link's shoulder. "What's with all the booze? You going to a party or something?"

"I wish that's what it was," Link sneered. "I took it all from Shade's room. I found him wanderingz around out in the snow, completely drunk off his ass. If you were planning on going to see him, I suggest you go home; he's sleeping and he'd be too hard to deal with with all that alcohol in his system."

Ren bit her lip. "O-Oh . . . yeah, I guess you're right. I'll have to talk to him later . . ."

"Alright. See you." And at that, Link hurried past Ren and continued down the hall, the bag of bottles clanging against his backside as he walked.

* * *

Once Link was gone, Ren immediately started heading down her initial path, still intent on visiting Shade, even if it was against Link's warnings. With an angry step to her walk, she rushed to his room and used the spare key that Shade had given her to open the door and head inside. Just like Link had said, he was fast asleep, his body angled uncomfortably on the couch, with his feet way up the side of the backrest and his head nearly hanging off the edge of the cushions.

"Shade, wake up!" Ren yelled. When she got no visual or vocal response from him, she locked her sights on the water bottle sitting next to the couch. She grabbed it and twisted the cap off it, and in one swift movement, she splashed the cold water onto his face.

Shade's eyes snapped open, and then he sat up in a flurry, his hands flying to his face so he could get the water off.

"What the fuck?!" he swore out loud, and then he noticed Ren standing next to the couch with the nearly-empty water bottle in her hand. "Ren?! What are you doing here?!"

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Ren yelled back at him. "Link told me he found you wandering around drunk out in the snow!"

"So what?" Shade growled, his words still slurred from the alcohol working on his system. "What do you even care, anyway?"

"I care because I don't want you doing anything stupid!" Ren shouted. "Why wouldn't I worry about you?!"

Shade sneered, lowering his head so he was looking down at the floor. "Whatever. Go away. I don't need your sympathy."

"Shade . . ." Ren got down to her knees so she was level with Shade, and then lifted his head so she could see him face-to-face. "Is this about last night?"

Shade let out a whimper, and shook his head. "No."

"I know you're lying," Ren whispered. "Shade, it's alright. I promise-"

"It's not 'alright', Ren!" Shade yelled. "It's not."

"Yes, it is. You're making a big deal out of nothing. I'm fine, see? Everything's fine."

Shade didn't reply. Instead, he pulled away from Ren and laid back down on the couch, his gaze locked on the ceiling. Ren stayed on the floor, watching him as he laid there, listening to the sound of his breathing; the only sound in the room.

Minutes passed, each one filled with the same amount of silence as the last. After about ten minutes of silence, Ren finally got to her feet and headed for the door.

". . . I guess I'll see you later, then," she whispered, before opening the door and walking out, leaving Shade still laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression on his face.

When Ren was outside of the room and out of Shade's sight, she slipped down the surface of the door, sinking down to sit, and then she wrapped her arms around her legs and let herself cry into her knees.

"You idiot . . . !"

* * *

Link threw the bag full of bottles into the garbage bin on the side of the men's dorm building. The bottles landed hard inside with clangs and shatters of the bottles breaking as they hit the trash inside.

Link was about to head back into the dorm building when he stopped and remembered what he was supposed to do. In all the commotion with Shade, he had completely forgotten to pay a visit to Hena and Iza's dorm to see if Uzuki was home and safe.

With a tired sigh, Link turned around and went to the girl's dorm building on the other side of the campus, trudging through the now-thick patches of snow that had formed in mere minutes. Once he made it to the building, he greeted the warmth of the indoor heating within the building with a toasty smile, and then started up the stairs to the second floor. Once there, he found Iza and Hena's room near the end of the hall, and knocked on the door. Hena was the one to answer it.

"Hey there, Link! I can bet you're here to see Uzuki?" she giggled.

"Yeah . . . she _is _here, right?" Link asked cautiously.

"She's in her room," Hena replied as she stepped aside so Link could enter. The dorm room was very clean and tidy. There were bookshelves lining the living room walls near the small television, and glass wall hangs were decorating the small sections of wall on both sides of the door. A nice rug was spread out underneath the couch and coffee table, and there was a birdcage next to the couch that had two myrna birds inside, picking away at their own feathers.

Iza motioned her thumb towards the door across the room that was tacked with a drawing of a circle with an 'X' slashed through it. Link approached it and put his hand on the knob; it was cold to the touch, and almost felt like it should have been frozen. He turned the cold metal knob and opened the door. When he stepped inside, he was slapped head-on by the cold air within the room. Not only did it feel cold, but it felt dead and heavy; a massive difference from the air mere inches away in the living room.

He quickly got over the cold, however, when he saw Uzuki sitting in her bed across the room, typing away on a laptop, a pair of headphones secured over her ears. He could hear muffled guitar notes seeping out from the round speakers held over her ears.

Link stepped forward and waved his hand in front of Uzuki's eyes. She looked up to him, removed her headphones, and said, "Hey, what's up?"

"What's up?" Link asked, before raising his voice. "_What's up?! _You've been gone for _days!_"

"Yeah, I was. So what?" Uzuki replied.

"We've been worried about you! You just disappeared without any warning or notice!"

"Hmm, yeah, I did," she replied casually. "First rule of knowing who I am – don't be surprised if I drop off the face of the Earth, okay, bumpkin?"

Link almost felt anger welling up inside of him from her acting so innocent about it, but he took a breath, exhaled, and let the anger go.

"You're okay, right?"

"Peachy-keen," Uzuki snickered. "Just sleepy."

Link let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, good. I'll see you at school on Monday."

"You got it," Uzuki mumbled before rolling over onto her side so that her back was facing Link.

"Okay. Bye."

Without a reply from Uzuki, Link left the room. Iza was on the couch, reading a fashion magazine, while Hena was tending to the myrna birds.

"Thanks for letting me drop by," Link thanked the girls.

"No problem, hun," Iza said before turning the page of her magazine. "We'll keep a close eye on her and let you know if anything else happens."

"Okay, thanks," Link said as he went to the door. While Iza buried her face into her magazine, he gave Hena a wave goodbye, and then left the room.

* * *

"So she was completely fine?"

Link nodded at Zelda as she mixed two cups of hot chocolate for herself and Link in his kitchen. "She looked it, at least. And she made it sound like she had just gone for vacation or something."

"What did I tell you?" Zelda giggled with a smile. "Uzuki's always jumping about. She knows what she's doing." She brought a mug of hot chocolate to Link, and then dropped four bite-sized marshmallows into his drink.

"Well, Hena and Iza are keeping a closer eye on her now, at least," Link replied. He brought the mug to his lips and took a sip of the drink. "Thanks, Zel. This is great."

Zelda sat down next to Link on the bed and drank her own hot chocolate as well, then snuggled into him. Link started a movie on his laptop and relaxed into the bed with her.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention – Oni's coming to visit sometime this week, apparently," Link sighed.

"Oh?" Zelda wondered. "It'll be nice to see him."

"Are you kidding me? It's going to be terrible. It's bad enough I've got Shade running around making a fool of himself; now I've gotta be nagged at by Oni for however long he's going to be staying in the city. Apparently he's got a week off of school, so that could mean a week of, 'You really should study more!' and 'You should try harder to apply yourself!' and all that bullshit."

"He's just looking out for you, sweetheart," Zelda soothed him.

"I know, I know," Link sighed. "I just wish he'd get off my back, especially considering I'm already one of the smarter ones. I'd like to see him meet Ganondorf," he said with a chuckle. "Although I have to make sure to keep Shade in good spirits while he's around. I got rid of the booze he was trying to drink himself to death with but I know he'll manage to find some way to cause more trouble."

"I'm sure Shade will pull himself out of his slump," Zelda assured him. "After all, Shade isn't the kind of guy to go down like that."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

* * *

Shade brought a hand up to knock on Ren's door. It was seven in the evening, and while he had a slight headache, he had long gotten over his state of complete intoxication.

"Ren? I need to talk to you," Shade called from the outside of her room. Ren answered the door within a few moments.

"Are you thinking clearly now?" Ren said.

Shade hesitated, and then nodded.

Ren sighed before stepping aside. "Come on in."

Shade walked into the tidy dorm room. He saw a plate of chicken and potatoes sitting on the kitchen table, and knew that he had interrupted Ren's dinner. Fi, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Is Fi here?" Shade asked.

"No, she's out with the journalism team," Ren replied as she sat down on the couch, ignoring the existence of her dinner just several feet away. "So what's the story with you, huh? Are you proud of all that?"

Shade made a grimaced expression. "Ren, I'm sorry-"

"What good does drinking yourself to the point of unconsciousness do?" Ren interrupted. "Is it that much of an issue for you?"

Shade was unresponsive.

"Shade," Ren whispered. She leaned forward on the couch and stared at him with her bright green eyes. "I love you. Please believe that. I don't want you feeling like the only way out of conflict between us is putting yourself down and giving up."

Shade nodded, but a look of discontent still remained on his face.

"Don't worry," Ren repeated. "Everything's going to be alright."

When Shade finally pulled his emotions and thoughts together, he bid goodbye to Ren and turned around to head for the door.

"Are you going to be alright?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine after I get some sleep," Shade replied.

"Okay. You can call me if anything comes up." She held his hand in hers and lightly squeezed it before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. "Be safe, Shade. I love you."

Shade nodded. "I love you too." Then he pulled his hand away from hers and left the room.

Back out in the hallway again, Shade fell back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling.

"Fucking hell," he sighed before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it right in the hallway. Then he placed the cigarette between his lips and left the building before the fire alarm was set off.


End file.
